Killer Queen
by Ceridwen Lucius
Summary: A woman with a mind control quirk and the royal attitude of a Queen Bee. Dealing with the demons of her past, she finds love in the most surprising person. Little does she know this man will eventually lead her to a family she never expected. A tale of three Todorokis and the woman caught between them.
1. Chapter 1

"I found someone that might interest you, sir," Kurogiri announced as Shigaraki sat down on his usual bar stool.

Kurogiri set his phone down on the bar he had just been polishing. Shigaraki peered at the small screen between the fingers of the hand covering his face.

A lone woman walked down a deserted alley. Not unusual but extremely stupid for a woman to be alone in such a place. The most bizarre thing he could see so far was the way she was dressed. Her outfit was straight from the 1940's. Wearing a plain, black A-line skirt and a matching puffy shouldered, button down jacket that nipped in tightly at her narrow waist she looked like an actress from the age of glamour in Hollywood. She wore a wide brimmed hat that hid her face.

Strolling down the alley in no hurry, one high heeled foot being placed elegantly in front of the other, she appeared to have no particular place to go. Why in the hell would such a sophisticated, primly dressed woman be in a vacant back alley in the middle of the night?

Four men appeared in the frame, two in front and two behind, to surround her. Common street thugs searching for unsuspecting victims and looking to make trouble. Stupid woman. She had made herself an easy target and deserved whatever was coming to her.

Shigaraki had the feeling they were about to be in trouble when one of the men approached her, and she did not run or even back away. For a few seconds, they talked. Apparently, the footage came from a surveillance video. Being unable to hear anything annoyed Shigaraki. He wanted to know what was being said.

"Where did you get this video?" he asked without looking away.

"It's from our street level camera. That happened behind the bar last night," Kurogiri informed him.

The big goon speaking to her put his arm around her small waist, jerking her forward against him. The circular brim of her hat hit his broad chest, knocking it off. At last Shigaraki could see her face.

She was what he believed most people would call pretty. To him, she looked like a china doll. Dramatically made up cat like eyes with exaggerated lashes and winged lines of mascara. Lips painted ruby red curled up at the corners into a calm, fake smile despite the fact she was being manhandled. The rest of her face was white as fine porcelain. Her hair was smooth and glossy, pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck, black as the shadows that had been chased away by the dim street lights.

Her lips were moving again indicating she was talking. One of the men said something back, and all of them laughed. The man directly behind her reached out, seizing her by the thick twist of hair on the back of her head. He pulled as if attempting to drag her away from the other man who held her captive in his arms. She did not scream or fight back. The object of an odd, savage tug of war, she did something even more strange by pulling the man violently embracing her down to kiss his mouth.

"Ew," Shigaraki muttered in disgust. "What the hell was that?" Growing impatient, he barked, "What's the point here, Kurogiri?"

"Just keep watching, sir," he encouraged the man, pouring him a drink. "This interesting part is about to happen."

The woman whispered something in his ear, and he immediately released her but the other man held fast. He seized the wrist of his partner in crime who held her by the hair. The man's mouth dropped open as if he yelled in pain, and he let go finally. The woman stepped out of the way as the first man drew a knife stabbing his companion in the chest.

The other two men pulled out their knives, launching an attack against their comrade who appeared to have lost his mind by killing one of their own. Forgotten by the men, she stood a safe distance away, her back to the camera to observe the carnage as they engaged in a fight to the death. In the end, the man she had kissed stood alone with the other three dead on the ground at his feet.

The woman walked toward him. He dropped to his knees, head bowed, in a subservient position in front of her. With her back to the camera, Shigaraki could not read her lips to know what she said to the man. However, when he raised his knife to his own throat and slit it, he could deduce with certainty she had ordered the man to kill himself.

"You're right, Kurogiri. That was interesting," he commented still watching the video.

The woman crudely spat on the dead man she had used as a servant to do her bidding. He could only assume she wanted to rid herself of the remnants of the kiss. She reached into her purse, taking out what looked like a piece of candy, probably a breath mint. Dropping the wrapper from the candy onto the dead man's chest, she gingerly stepped around his bloody body and walked away.

"Hmmm," Shigaraki hummed thoughtfully.

"What do you think, sir?" Kurogiri inquired.

"It appears she uses some kind of mind control. Possibly delivered through her saliva. It was apparent she didn't enjoy kissing the man."

"I didn't mean about her quirk, sir. Do you think she would be a good addition to the League of Villains?"

"Find her."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina descended the cement stairs, opening the windowless black door to enter the bar. She held the invitation she had received in her hand. The ivory stationery lettered with fancy gold letters invited her to the bar for a meeting with the owner. The mildly threatening tone warning her that they had found something on their video feed that might be of interest to the police annoyed her.

She was not afraid of the cops. Actually, she had done nothing wrong in that alley. It was the other man who killed his companions. She never lifted a finger to harm any of them. Her reason for coming here tonight was to find out who had the balls to attempt to blackmail her.

The flames of candles chased away the shadows in the dark enclosed space while the amber bulbs in wall sconces lent a warm amber ambiance to the underground hole giving it the semblance of a welcoming atmosphere. There were only two people sitting the place, using the term people extremely loosely.

A painfully thin man wearing a body hugging black shirt and pants sat at the bar. Gray dead hands clung to his upper torso, most of them surrounding his head and neck. One even covered his face yet somehow he sipped the golden brown fluid from the short glass tumbler in his hand. The bartender appeared to be a black hole wrapped up in a nice suit to give him a human form.

"What's your name?" the hands on man asked. He was soft spoken, but the tone of his voice demanded an answer.

"I would prefer you tell me your name first and why you asked me to come here." She raised the envelope, flinging it toward the man like a throwing star.

The bartender reached out, catching the spinning stationery with his black mist for a hand before it hit the man in the cheek. She doubted it would have contacted him through the hands shielding him. No one has died from a paper cut, but the suit had felt the need to protect the man she assumed to be his boss. Interesting.

"My name is Tomura Shigaraki. I saw the incident you were involved in behind my bar," he said, continuing to nurse his drink.

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" she returned with a snippy tone. "Besides, wouldn't turning that video into the police implicate you for negligence as the bar owner? Just looking at the two of you gives me the impression that you don't want to bring any unwanted attention to yourselves from the police. And definitely not from any heroes."

"My name is Kurogiri, Miss." The shadow contained in the impeccable suit introduced himself, bowing deeply to her. "I apologize for any inconvenience we have caused you. I would also like to apologize for bringing you here under false pretenses. I will be honest about our intentions. We brought you here to discuss something of great importance with you."

At least the black hole was extremely polite. She approached the bar, putting two seats between her and the man with attachment issues. Placing her black high heel encased foot on the brass rail at the bottom of the bar, she hiked herself up onto the bar stool because her tight black pencil skirt would not allow her to perch herself on the seat normally. She took off her black trench coat placing it on the chair beside her on his direction to form another layer of distance between them. The cold air in the bar made goosebumps erupt along the length of her arms bared by her short sleeved yellow shirt.

"Would you like a drink, Miss?" Kurogiri asked her.

"An old-fashioned, please," she requested, returning his respectful courtesy. "My name is Melina Zusa."

"Welcome, Miss Zusa. I'll get that drink for you right away."

"What do you want with me, Shigaraki?" she questioned him, looking straight ahead of her.

She studied the bottles of liquor lined up on the glass shelves built across the wall. They appeared to be floating in the air because the clear glass virtually vanished in the low light. Thankfully there was no mirror behind them in which she had to stare at her reflection - or his.

"I would like for you to become a member of my organization," Shigaraki replied bluntly.

Melina appreciated him getting straight to the point. She felt he had wasted enough of her time already. Kurogiri set her drink in front of her in an short, wide, ornate cut crystal glass called an old-fashioned just like her drink of choice. She liked everything old-fahioned; the classics, hearkening back to a different time period.

"It's obvious you want to exploit my quirk for your nefarious purposes. What are you offering me in return?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink. "As I see it, I will be giving you everything, but you will be giving me nothing in return."

"Are you a hero?" he questioned her.

"I don't think of myself as a hero or a villain. I'm just me with this weird ability," she replied in a self-deprecating way.

"Where are you from?"

"I didn't peg you for the curious type. Not from here obviously. I'm from..." She paused, the ice in her glass clinking against the side as she took a long draw. "I'm on holiday. I'm nothing more than a tourist. So, I'll ask again, what can you offer me? What will you do to entice me to stay, to become a part of your little group?"

"I can provide you with a new home. Protection from whatever, or whoever, you're running from. You will have comrades in arms. A family of sorts. Friends," he listed. "There's safety in numbers as they say."

"Hmph," she snorted derisively, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Not really. I'm not into philanthropy. I'm not really a people person. I doubt you are either. I'm not charitable. Giving something for nothing and all that bullshit. Saving those who need saving just because it's the right thing to do is a job for the heroes."

"We're not heroes. We don't do that here."

 _Obviously_. She sighed in exasperation. He didn't seem to be getting the point.

"Mr. Shigaraki, I cannot see a single way I will benefit from a relationship with you and your organization. You're not a very good negotiator or manipulator. I have already established a home here. Quite a nice one in fact. I can protect myself. I always have. I don't need _friends_ ," she said, stressing the word with bitter sarcasm.

"Such a lovely lady is a lone wolf?" Kurogiri interjected.

"Flattery will get you nowhere my fine gentleman in a fancy suit," she shot back, winking at him. "No. While I do prefer being in charge of myself and my life, I don't believe in all of that lone wolf crap. I provide myself with drones and worker bees when necessary to do my bidding. And when they've outlived their usefulness, well...let's just say I move on without them," she explained. "Typically, I'm not really a team player unless I'm the leader. Clearly, you are the leader here."

"You're a Queen Bee," Shigaraki stated rather asked.

Was he referring to her quirk or calling her a bitch? Either way he was correct and had accurately labeled her on both accounts. She could control people with a kiss, injecting them with a pheromone lacing her saliva. She detested the intimate delivery method of the substance. One day she hoped to find a better way to administer the mind control pheromone equivalent to that of a Queen Bee who uses it bring the hive under her command, bending them to her will.

"You're a difficult woman to deal with," he muttered, raising his empty glass to request another drink.

"So I've been told." She poked at the single, large round ice cube in her glass. "Since I have no one whose life you can threaten, no family, no loved ones, you have no leverage to force me to your will. That's a real bummer for you."

"There's no one on whom you want to exact revenge? No one has hurt you, irreparably damaged you in some way that they deserve to die? Isn't there someone who has hurt a person you love? A cherished pet maybe."

"There's no one I need to avenge. We've all been hurt by others. Some of us a whole lot more than they should have been, so I understand their desire for revenge. However, I see vengeance as a tiring, useless motivation. The only one you hurt is yourself in the end," she said. "My motives are far less noble."

"We're all in this for ourselves, whatever benefits us," he admitted. "So let me guess your motivation. Money? Fun? Excitement?"

"All of the above, I suppose. I'm a whimsical person I guess you could say. I live by my whims, my desires. I chase whatever makes me happy."

About that time, a tall, lanky man entered the bar. Her eyes riveted themselves to him, taking him in from the tips of his shaggy, spiky hair down to the toes of his black dress shoes. He was dressed in worn clothing; the pants a little too short and a white t-shirt with a stretched scooped collar. Most of his skin was dark purple, severely damaged by burns. The muted light glinted off the silver staples holding the pristine pale skin together with the extensively marred tissue.

She liked the numerous piercings in his nose and ears, finding them alluring. She wondered if he had a thing for pain getting the multiple piercings on top of the grievously scarred flesh. Her breathing stopped when he looked at her, his luminescent blue-green eyes meeting hers that were the color of rich amber honey. He acknowledged her with a nod and continued walking through the room. Her eyes followed him along his path. Maybe she could find a reason to lend her time and abilities to them after all.

"Is your answer to joining us no then?" Shigaraki asked, drawing her attention back to him.

"You don't really need me. I'm sure you could find other, more powerful quirk users to further your cause. They would also be more cooperative. So why me?"

"I'm fascinated by your quirk. You would be useful to my cause. You're a beautiful woman. I'm sure you're accustomed to seducing men."

"I'm no one's whore," she said, her voice shockingly calm.

Melina wanted to rip that hand off his face and beat him with it but stayed put in her seat, fuming silently. She could fight her own battles, but why should she if she didn't have to?

"You mistake my intentions, Ms. Zusa," Shigaraki said, offering no apology. "You have skills that prevent you from being labeled as a mere vulgar temptress. You will be perfect for infiltrating and seizing control, allowing the rest of us to come in and finish the job. That's what you're accustomed to after all, isn't it?"

"Have another drink," Kurogiri suggested, setting a full glass down in front of her. "Stay a while. Think it over. I do hope you can find some reason to stay, Miss Zusa."

Melina liked the genteel, well-mannered bartender: a veritable pearl among swine. Then there was the other man. A picture of the man with extensive, deep purple scars on his face and chest entered her mind. How much of his body did those scars cover? Something about him drew her like the scent and color of a flower beckons a worker bee to sample its nectar.

Sipping her drink, she continued thinking. She knew no one here, had made no friends in this city. Only petty street criminals had offered her entertainment, and she really didn't like looking for trouble. Once again, her mind wandered back to the man who casually walked through the bar giving her the impression that he was part of Tomura Shigaraki's group. Well, she had nothing else to do, so why not embark upon this adventure and see where it takes her?


	2. Chapter 2

Melina returned to the bar about ten the next night. The air seemed to get instantly sucked out of the room leaving behind a soundless nothingness. All eyes were immediately on her. Since she liked attention, she didn't mind. There was a certain pair of eyes she wanted to see. Glancing around the hazy dimness, she found those gorgeous teal eyes gazing at her from the back booth in the corner.

The man who reminded her of Frankenstein's monster, pieced together in a patchwork of differing skin tones like a quilt, studied her with bored curiosity. A young blond girl sat at the same table facing him. The girl, dressed in a school uniform which furthered her young appearance, sat up on her knees in the booth seat and turned to see what had garnered his attention. For a moment, she glared at the interloper who she clearly felt did not belong there.

"Dabi, who's that?" the girl asked, scowling with contempt. Although not speaking loudly, her voice carried through the silent room as if she were shouting.

 _Dabi. So that's his name._ Melina committed his name to her memory. She smiled at him yet his face remained impassive, his expression frozen in apathy. His eyes shifted away from hers.

"No one, Toga," he responded, raising his glass to his lips.

"Hmph," the girl snorted in disapproval before turning around and dropping back onto her behind in the padded seat.

 _You don't know me now, but you will, Dabi_ , she promised him.

"Good evening, my Queen," Kurogiri greeted her.

When he spoke, it was like breaking a spell; all of the people in the place returned to their drinks and conversation as if they had been taken off of pause.

 _My Queen_. She liked that.

"Hello, again," she rejoined, walking to the bar.

If she did not know better, she would swear he had not moved since their conversation the previous day. The man with the hands was perched on the same bar stool as well giving her a weird sense of déjà vu.

"So the Queen has arrived," Shigaraki stated blandly for no apparent reason.

"Did you think I wasn't coming back?"

"I didn't know. I didn't really care either."

He sure seemed to care yesterday. He had been more polite and compliant as well. Possibly because Kurogiri provided him with a steady stream of strong alcohol to keep him calm.

"Miss Melina," Kurogiri interrupted setting a small bundle of clothing on the bar.

"Call me, Melina, please," she requested. "My Queen would do nicely as well."

"I have a favor to ask you." He pushed the clothes toward her. "Would you put this on and assist me tonight?"

Melina picked up the golden yellow top that looked like a vest with a collar. The bottom was a black pleated chiffon skirt. A barmaid's uniform? Her eyes skimmed the full to capacity bar. Well, it was a packed house tonight.

"This will be a good opportunity for you acquaint yourself with everyone," Kurogiri further explained.

She could see Shigaraki side eyeing her skeptically with one of his red eyes peeking through the fingers splaying across his face. This was also a test to see if she could take orders as well as giving them. Fine. Whatever it takes. It would be fun to be a part of something again. Amusing at least for a time. She draped the outfit over her arm.

"Where do I go get changed?"

"In the back. In my office," Shigaraki piped up. He indicated with a jerk of his chin the door at the end of the row of booths beside the door marked restrooms.

Once again, all eyes were on her as she sashayed down the aisle created by the booths against the wall and the tables lined up down the length of the room. She kept her eyes straight ahead, not looking at anyone. Not even her precious monster Dabi who had grabbed her attention from the moment she first saw him. To say it was love at first sight would be taking a leap into a place she didn't want to go. But there was definitely some kind of magnetism that drew her to him.

Melina opened the door expecting to find a messy office with file folders covering the desk and papers strewn all over the floor. Instead she found a clean office with neatly arranged sparse furnishings. A desk with a computer on top of a green blotter and two brownish red leather chairs sat side by side in front of the desk were the only things in the room.

Apparently the man was only a mess on the inside of his head as evidenced by the weird attachment issues and his hand fetish. She glanced down at her own hands not wanting to become part of his collection. She put her purse on the desk to begin disrobing. Carefully she lay her present outfit of a black straight knee length skirt and simple yellow silk top over the back of one of the chairs to keep them from getting wrinkled. Thankfully, she had worn her wedge heeled sandals instead of her usual spike heeled shoes. They would make being on her feet a little easier.

Melina appreciated Kurogiri's attention to detail in that he stayed true to her color scheme of yellow and black. She did love her bees right down to their little yellow and black stripes. They had gifted her with her abilities after all. A quirk given to her by nature apart from her DNA. Born quirkless, Mother Nature had taken pity on her later and blessed her with a quiet but powerful quirk.

She emerged from the office, returning to the bar. Kurogiri's golden lit eyes widened then narrowed. She did a little turn for him. The skirt was a bit short for her tastes barely reaching her mid thigh and the shirt bared far too much of her shoulders and back in her opinion, but she wouldn't complain.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It looks lovely," he responded approvingly.

He poured the contents of the metal shaker in his hand over two olives skewered on a tiny plastic sword in a tall stemmed martini glass. After setting it on a tray with a frosty mug of beer and a shot glass full of what she assumed to be tequila, he requested she take it to table three. Before he proceeded to show her which table, she stopped him.

"I'm guessing that's table one," she said, pointing to the first one in the row of booths along the wall. Then counting up to three, stopping her finger at the booth in the middle of the row where two men sat.

"That's right," Kurogiri answered.

"Oh, very good, you can count to three," Shigaraki snidely remarked, finishing his drink. "You're right, Kurogiri. She's a veritable genius."

"Can I serve him his drink next?" she asked, glowering at the snarky man.

Kurogiri chuckled then quickly cleared his throat. "I'll take care of him. It would be wasteful to needlessly spill alcohol."

"I'd gladly pay for the drink. It would be worth it to dump it over his head," she responded, picking up the tray.

Upon approaching the table, she examined the two occupants. One was a blond man with a terrible looking scar on his forehead as if someone had attempted to split his skull in two. The other had longish dark red hair, extremely large lips, and wore sunglasses despite the subdued lighting.

"Who has the martini?" she inquired, carefully lifting the glass to keep the tray balanced in her hand.

"I do," the man with the sunglasses answered.

"Here you go, sir," she said, setting the martini down in front of him.

"I am not a sir!" he snapped indignantly.

 _Really?_ , she thought to herself, giving the individual a careful second look. Square jaw complete with a light dash of facial hair. Broad shoulders, muscular chest and arms. There didn't appear to be any breasts. She had not purposely been offensive. How was she supposed to know? She was not narrow minded in the least.

"I apologize, ma'am. I didn't mean to offend you." She bowed deeply in sincere apology, although the act of apologetic submission killed her inside.

"Just don't let it happen again or I'll give you a painful, possibly deadly, reminder," she threatened, gingerly picking up the glass by the stem to take a drink.

"So this would be yours," Melina announced, moving on to the other customer. She set the beer mug and shot glass down in front of him.

"Thank you," he said politely in a low voice without looking at her.

Suddenly his face changed, his dark eyes turning on her and giving her a once over that made her feel like he wanted to eat her in a sexual and not cannibalistic way. His big hand reached out and slapped her on the ass. Despite her yelp of surprise, he allowed his hand to rest there on her throbbing butt cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart. I'd like to stick my stinger in that sweet little honey pot of yours." His voice was completely different this time; deep, gravelly, purposely sensual.

Melina swung the empty tray, hitting him across the face. His head jerked painfully to the side, leaving him stunned and wide eyed, gobsmacked after being smacked with the round piece of thick plastic and cork.

"Ow, motherfucker! What the hell was that for?" he bellowed angrily, switching back to his first persona.

How many people had this man splintered into? This guy was going to be a fuck ton of fun to deal with. Obviously he suffered from dissociative identity disorder, or to put it in simplest terms, good old-fashioned multiple personalities.

"You better get that second personality of yours under control, asshole," she warned him.

"Yeah, yeah, I've tried," he muttered, massaging his undoubtedly throbbing jaw.

Mortified and furious, but keeping her cool on the outside, Melina returned to the bar for another round of drinks for patrons. Once again, Shigaraki studied her from his peripheral vision. This test of his was going to be more difficult than she imagined. However, she would have to suck up her anger, push away her hostility, and deal with whatever harassment they threw at her. Besides, it wasn't like this was the first time she had endured death threats, salacious comments, and unwanted pawing.

"Are you all right?" Kurogiri asked her.

"I'm fine," she returned sweetly, giving him her brightest smile.

She looked at the soda with cherries skewered on the straw and the short tumbler full of dark liquid. Kurogiri used a small blowtorch to set the surface of the brown black liquor aflame. A blue flame danced across the top of the alcohol.

"Table six."

"Table six," Melina repeated, heading that way.

Back corner both. _His_ table. The girl was gone. Good. Here was her chance to at least speak to Dabi. Instead of looking at her as she approached the table, he toyed with the empty glass between his hands.

"Blue usually indicates something cold," she said, setting the glass of fiery liquid down in front of him. "The blue part of a candle flame is where it burns the hottest. It's ironic, don't you think, that the color usually associated with cold can also be the warmest?"

Melina placed her hand over the top of his glass to extinguish the flame. At last his eyes raised to meet hers. His eyes virtually glowed as they bore into hers like a drill, penetrating right down to her core.

"Be careful. If you play with fire, you might get burned," he warned her.

His soft, breathy voice with a raspy edge tickled her spine sending a delicious shiver of excitement down her back.

"I'm not worried," she told him.

She lifted her hand, extending it to him palm up to show him there was no damage, no burn. The royal jelly her body produced promotes healing and skin regeneration, therefore, she did not have to worry about injuries. Besides, the low flame wasn't really that hot and had almost burnt itself out anyway.

"Besides, I've been burned before. Everything heals in time," Melina said, her eyes reconnecting with his after they had examined her uninjured palm thoroughly.

"Maybe so. But there's always scars left behind," he commented, picking up the full glass to take a drink.

"That is true." She retrieved his empty glass to put it on her tray. "But sometimes it's our scars that make us beautiful."

"You think?" he muttered skeptically.

"One day I wouldn't mind getting to see your scars." Her eyes moved along the jagged edges of where his hopelessly marred skin and unscathed flesh met under the shiny silver staples running across his chest like some bizarre masochistic necklace. "All of them."

With those last few words, Melina exchanged the empty soda glass for the new one. She had barely walked away from the table when the little blonde returned from the restroom. She could almost feel the searing eyes of hatred burning into the back of her skull. Thankfully, _'if looks could kill, I would be dead right now'_ was only an expression to describe the intensity of such a hate filled look. Those honey brown eyes of the one he had called Toga were green with envy. The girl seemed to have an affinity for Dabi. Something akin to a brother complex was how Melina viewed it.

By the end of the night, she had seen many of the villains and served them drinks. However, she knew none of them at all, not even by name. Not a single person had offered their name nor did she ask. By 3AM, the only beings left in the bar were Kurogiri, Shigaraki, Dabi, and herself. Despite not speaking another word to her no matter how many drinks she had brought him, Dabi had stayed and stayed even after his youthful companion left quite a few hours ago.

Melina hauled her exhausted body onto the bar stool next to Shigaraki not caring she was so close to the man. She kicked off her shoes, allowing them to fall to the floor with two hollow thumps.

"Did I pass your test?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm both surprised and disappointed by your success," Shigaraki added with a heavy sigh as if to convey his disappointment in a more discernible manner. "I had wrongly assumed your pride and arrogance would not allow you to lower yourself to menial labor. I had hoped you would tell me to fuck off and leave."

"Hmm," she hummed, giving Kurogiri a smile of gratitude when he placed a drink in front of her. "If you wanted me to fuck off, why didn't you just say so? I excel at doing the unexpected and dashing the hopes others have for me. You could ask my parents if they weren't dead."

"Did you kill you them?" he boldly questioned her.

"No, you asshole, I didn't."

Melina downed half of her drink in one sip. The sugary sweet mixture of cola and whiskey burned all the way down to her belly. She hated herself for divulging any information about her past but detested him more for triggering a bad memory both in thought and feeling.

"Okay. You've learned something else about me yet I know nothing about you. I want you to repay the favor in kind."

"Oh, yeah, how so?" he challenged her, avoiding looking at her.

"Take that hand off your face. I want to see you," she brazenly requested.

"No!" he exclaimed, sliding off his seat.

"Oh, come on! It's only fair. Let me see," Melina argued, reaching for the hand.

Shigaraki squeezed his body into the corner between the glossy dark mahogany bar and the wall.

"No! No! You can't!" he yelled like a petulant child.

"Don't be such a baby," she chastised him when he slapped her hand away.

She grasped the heavy rectangular metal piece attached to the wrist of the hand. The fingers released their grip on his face, and the hand detached itself. Suddenly she found herself in the extremely uncomfortable position of holding the severed hand while seeing his face for the first time.

Melina shamelessly stared, unable to look away. His skin was grayish in color, the ashen hue of death. The skin around his eyes was folded into numerous, crepe like wrinkles. The area was also darker in color, almost bruiselike underneath the crinkled, paper thin surface under his eyes and across his eyelids. His dry, cracked lips were set in a mirthless, Cheshire cat grin that revealed his tightly clenched teeth. A big vertical fissure along his lips had reopened from his overly wide grimace and fresh blood glistened along its length from below his nose to under his bottom lip. His small irises as red as his blood glued themselves to her face.

"There! Are you satisfied?!" Shigaraki bellowed, snatching the hand free from hers. "Did you see what you wanted to see?! Did it make you happy to see the freak?!"

"No," she stated quietly, watching him replace the hand to cover his somewhat frightening visage.

She gulped audibly to swallow the lump in her throat. What was that she had said earlier about scars? Her fingers shook as she extended them toward him to touch the small amount of his cheek visible between the fingers of the hand once again firmly latched onto his face.

"What are you doing?" he rasped in his throaty voice. "Don't touch me."

"It's not as bad as you think," she said.

"Don't touch me, or I'll kill you," he warned her.

There was something about his tone of voice, no longer that of a pouting child but that of a serious man with a lethal quirk, which made her pull her hand away.

"You should leave, Queen Bee. Go home," he ordered her. "Come back if you want, but don't ever touch me again."

"Yes, sir," she responded dutifully, well away she had overstepped her boundaries and humbled in a way that she could not say she did not deserve it.

Melina walked back to his office to change her clothes. Tired, humiliated, desperate to change and leave, she forgot to lock the door. Taking off the shirt, she haphazardly threw it onto the desk by her purse. Reaching behind her, she unzipped the skirt and allowed it to fall to the floor around her feet. She did not hear when the latch was freed from the strike plate to allow entrance for someone.

The warmth of the body behind her alerted her to the man's presence but not before his hand covered her mouth. His other arm encircled her waist, holding her body firmly against his, her back to his chest.

"What you did was very, very stupid," he whispered in her ear.

She knew she should be afraid, but she wasn't. Quite the contrary actually. She leaned against him, feeling the rise and fall of his chest with each of his breaths. When he was speaking, his chest had vibrated against her back causing pulses of heat and cold to rush through her in alternating waves of both sexual arousal and unease from being manhandled. The staples holding his skin together scraped across her bare back, her belly, and her cheek from the way he held her.

"Aren't you going to scream? Struggle? Do something to try to free yourself?" His warm breath brushed across her ear and cheek as if he had physically touched her with his fingertips.

Melina whimpered, wiggling against him in response to the goosebumps that erupted over her entire body. When his hand slowly lifted from her mouth, she inhaled several deep breaths before speaking.

"What if I don't want to be free from you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" His arm started to gradually unwind from her waist, his fingertips drifting across her hip just above the waist of her silky panties.

Both of her hands caught and held his forearm, keeping his arm securely in place. "I mean, I want you to touch me, hold me."

"Then what?" He loosened his arm, turning her around to face him. His arm coiled around her tightly to draw her to him once again.

"Kiss me," she entreated him, lifting her hands to thrust her fingers into his bushy mane.

His finger pressed to her lips as if shushing her. "I don't think so. I know what you can do with that pretty little deceptive mouth of yours. I won't become your servant. For sex or anything else."

"There's worse fates in life. Don't you think?" she asked, unhinging her fingers from his hair when he released her and stepped back.

"Maybe so," he agreed. "Get dressed. I'll take you home."

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," she assured him, turning her back to him to pull on her other clothes.

"Do you think I'm that chivalrous? What reason could I have for wanting to take you home?"

Melina offered no response, staying quiet and getting her clothes on. She sighed in exasperation when she remembered she had left her shoes at the bar where she had kicked them off. Facing him, she smiled and lay her hand on his chest. Under her fingers she felt the slightly dry, puckered but velvety smooth burned skin while his unharmed delicate porcelain skin met her palm.

"I'm tired. I've had enough of..." Her words trailed off, and she exhaled noisily to convey her weariness. "I've had enough of everything today. I'm going home alone tonight."

"Suit yourself."

As tempting as his offer had been, Melina wanted to go home. She needed a hot bath and a long night's sleep. She wanted to forget this night ever happened. Except for the very last part. Her interaction with Dabi had been somewhat satisfying in that he showed a return interest in her.


	3. Chapter 3

Tomura Shigaraki searched the internet for any kind of information on the mysterious Melina Zusa. A name inquiry returned nothing of value. He did learn her first name meant honey in Greek, and her last name meant sweet in the Yiddish language. He was becoming more and more convinced she had given him a fake name. Those little tidbits of useless info left him angry, frustrated, and wanting to punch a hole through the computer monitor.

Eventually, he began a more specific search using her last name along with a single major country. He found a news article from the United States relating the story of a family with the surname Zusa who had burned to death in a house fire seven years ago. They owned a commercial apiary supplying honey to a major manufacturer. So there was a remote possibility Zusa could actually be her last name. That might also explain her fondness for bees. However, the news story did not mention family members by name. No survivors were mentioned either. Public records of the family were inaccessible so there was no way to tell for sure if that was her family. Undaunted, he continued seeking more information.

Shigaraki obsessed and seethed, needing to find out more about the woman. She had appeared out of nowhere, almost too good to be true. Who wouldn't want a person with mind control powers on their team? The heroes possessed at least one. He wanted one of his own. How politely convenient of her to come to his back doorstep and show herself.

As leader of the League of Villains, he did not want to be wrong about his decision to bring her into his organization. He could not afford any more setbacks. At the moment they were keeping all of their movements discreet while they gathered intel, fortified their ranks, and plotted their next move.

His group had recently experienced a string of miserable failures against the heroes, particularly that annoying group of brats from UA High. He had just started to piece things back together since the dismal defeat of All For One ending in his subsequent capture and arrest. The man who had been like a father to him was gone, taken away by All Might. Hate burned hotly inside of Shigaraki, scorching his guts.

Although his hideout had been discovered and raided last time, as the new leader he had opened another undercover bar as a gathering place for his little society. Hiding in plain sight had worked for quite a while before so he decided to try it again. His mistake had been kidnapping that damn loud mouthed kid who had too many fucking friends who cared about him. In the search for their friend, those irritating and far too resourceful brats had located his secret headquarters. He would not make that mistake again. Should he dare to abduct another one of those hero wannabes, he would be sure to take them to a different location, far, far away from his covert meeting grounds.

Shigaraki typed in her address, conducting a search to pinpoint her residence. He had left the job of finding her to Kurogiri last time trusting his judgment in sending her the invitation. Never before had he been interested in recruiting members. In fact, he had solidly rejected Giran's suggestions in the past. However, the additions of Dabi and Himiko Toga had worked out quite well in that they became invaluable members to the organization.

As if delivered by the demons from hell themselves, this woman named Melina Zusa showed up and offered herself and her intriguing quirk that could prove to be incredibly useful to him. How could he allow such an opportunity to slip through his fingers?

On the screen, he followed the street view map to the front door of her apartment building - a five story red brick structure. A knock sounded on his door as he explored the pictures that helpfully provided a layout of each floor and the specific arrangement of every individual apartment.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath, irritated by the interruption. "What?"

"Sir," Kurogiri said, opening the door slightly. "Melina is here to see you."

"Who?" he barked in annoyance pretending not to recognize the name.

"Our Queen, sir," he returned.

Shigaraki growled like a mad dog. He absolutely abhorred that irksome nickname Kurogiri insisted on the calling the woman. Damned if the name didn't fit her though. Regal, dignified, classy. The living definition of grace under pressure. She vexed him to no end because he could not find a chink in her cool, unflappable facade. She was hiding something, and he needed to find out what it is.

"Sir?" Kurigiri called. "She would like to see you."

Shigaraki expelled a noisy sigh of exasperation. He switched off the monitor so she would not accidentally see what he was doing.

"By all means, show her highness in," he snapped.

Melina entered the room with a tranquil smile lifting the corners of her cherry red lips. Today's blast from the past ensemble was a short sleeved yellow top with black polka dots and a black swing skirt. A small black cap perched jauntily on the side of her head and a veil of black netting covered her eyes. Why in the hell did this woman insist on channeling mid twentieth century fashion icons? She had a way of grabbing his attention whether he wanted to give it to her or not.

"What do you want?" he demanded. He suspiciously eyed the small yellow bag she sat on the corner of his desk. "What is that?"

"A gift," she said, commencing to pull out the items to show him. She sat on his desk what appeared to be a tube of lip balm and a small glass jar of a substance that he would swear was butter.

"What is that?" he repeated.

When she came closer to him, standing on his side of the desk in front of him, Shigaraki pushed his feet against the floor sending his chair rolling back into the wall.

"Would you stop that?" she chided him, her smile flipping upside down into a deep frown. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He hated it when she spoke to him as if he were a child. "Why would I be afraid of you hurting me? That's the least of my worries. You're just too damn close that's all."

"Yeah, I get that you don't want to be touched," she said, opening the jar. "But you can't put this on yourself. Let me help you."

"What is it?" he inquired for the third time because she had yet to tell him.

"It's a moisturizer and lip balm I make myself. It will help your dry skin," she explained. She dipped her fingers into the jar then sat down on the edge of the desk with a dejected sigh. "Will you take that off?"

"No," he replied forcefully.

The stubborn woman reached out to grab the hand like she had before. Shigaraki seized her by the wrist, forcing a startled gasp from her. Her eyes widened, fastening themselves to his face. There it was. For a split second he saw the fearful panic in her eyes before she could mask it. He took extreme care in keeping his pinky finger lifted away from her skin. He didn't want to hurt her. Yet.

"Just one touch, and I could destroy you," he snarled at her menacingly. "Do you believe me?"

"I believe you," Melina stated in a hushed voice, almost a whisper. Her eyes shifted back and forth rapidly between his.

"If I lay my finger down, your flesh that I touch will rot away, crumbling through my fingers like sand. Eventually the necrosis would spread throughout your body, killing you gradually, painfully."

He squeezed her wrist, lowering his little finger closer. He chuckled in sadistic joy when she yelped. Her entire body visibly trembled in front of him. His eyes lowered from her terror stricken eyes to her quivering lips.

"Why are you doing this?" he interrogated her. "Is there poison or something in there?"

He glared at her, allowing the tense silence to stretch between them. Her eyes stubbornly held his despite her fear, issuing a silent plea. A small whimper came from her throat when he squeezed her wrist tighter, the tendons moving under his fingers.

"Can I touch you?" she inquired patiently, a slight warble to her voice. "Let me help you."

" _Why_ do you want to help me?" Why did she care? Their kind wasn't supposed to give a damn about anyone but themselves, and she had definitely given him the impression that she was only out for herself. He needed to know her game, her strategy.

"Because I _can_. Remove the hand, please, so I can put this on you," she requested, her voice soft and kind. "I'll make this quick. You need something to soothe your skin and promote healing before it gets any worse. That crack on your lip could get infected."

"What do you hope to accomplish?"

"Treating your skin. That has to be painful. Let me help. If I had an ulterior motive it would be to put my products to a real test...to see just how good they actually are. Now, come on." She moved her hand as if to remind him he still held her wrist captive.

"Fine," he exhaled crossly, letting her go. "I can't tell if you're a masochist or just stupid."

"Mmmm, maybe a little of both."

His curiosity as to what she was up to with this little act outstripped his desire to not be in contact with other humans - especially her. Perhaps if he allowed her to think she was manipulating him, he could in turn control her more easily. Besides, his skin had gotten unbelievably uncomfortable; itchy and tight, feeling as if it might split in several places all over his face, not just his lips. Reluctantly he reached up, removing the protective hand from his face; the one he believed shielded him from the world while offering its comforting touch.

This time when she saw his face she smiled instead of gaping at him with a mixture disgust and horror as if she had just seen the face of a nightmarish monster. Her tremulous fingers betrayed her when she reached out toward him. When her fingertips made contact with his cheek, he inhaled forcefully through his teeth making a hissing sound. She jerked her hand back, nearly dropping the container of cream in her other hand.

"Am I that repulsive?" he asked, seeking to push as many of her emotional buttons as he possibly could.

"No. Don't hold my initial reaction against me. You can't expect someone not to be shocked at seeing you for the first time. It's just not fair," she said, carefully massaging the cream into his skin. "In time, after healing has taken place, you might even be cute, Mr. Shigaraki."

"Tch," he clicked his tongue at her, distrustful of her flattery. "Like I give a damn what you think about me."

Shigaraki chewed the inside of his cheek nervously. Although ill at ease to the point of being distraught, he allowed her to continue to administer the cream. He would not keep cowering away from this woman and have her think he was frightened of her.

Her fingers carefully smearing on the cool moisturizer felt good. Her touch was light and tender. The moisturizer soothed his withered skin, relieving the tightness therefore diminishing the annoying itchiness. His eyes watched hers as she concentrated on working the cream into the parched skin of his cheeks. Her irises were the same color as dark amber honey; a deep rich color like brown sugar.

"What's in that?"

"It's a mixture of royal jelly, honey, and beeswax. The same ingredients are in the lip balm as well. Along with a few other things like coconut oil. All natural ingredients. Mother Nature gives us the best gifts. They're good for your skin," Melina assured him.

He detested the flutter in his belly, the fast beating of his heart, in response to her gentleness. It felt good to be touched. As much as he had longed for it as a child, as much as he thought he had learned to live without it as an adult, he reveled in the sensation of her fingertips lightly stroking his cheek. Occasionally panic welled inside of making him want to shout at her to stop, urging him to push her away, goading him to run, but he forced himself to stay still.

"Close your eyes," she ordered him in the most kind way possible.

His fingers clutched the arms of the chair as she rubbed the lotion into the hopelessly shriveled skin around his eyes. What the hell was he doing? Why was he allowing this to go on? She could poke his eyes out, blinding him! His hands clenched so tightly his knuckles began to ache. Her fingers tenderly smoothed on more of the moisturizer.

"Relax. I'm almost done," she murmured. "The royal jelly promotes healing. The honey has antibacterial properties which will prevent infection. The beeswax will offer protection from any further chapping. But you have to use this on a regular basis. You can open your eyes."

"But I can't - " He started to explain.

"I know. Your quirk is in your hands," she cut him off, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Which is why your face and lips looks like this right?"

"Yeah," he answered, staring at her as she rubbed the remainder of the lotion on her fingers into her hands. He was astonished she did not feel the need to run wash her hands or use hand sanitizer. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Of course I am," she readily admitted, picking up the small tube. "You could kill me with a single touch. As long as I stay away from your hands and you behave and keep your hands away from me, I'll be okay. Right?"

"Uhm, yeah," he mumbled.

"Don't talk," she commanded him sweetly.

Now she thought she could order him around. This woman needed to learn boundaries. He flinched when she pressed the stick of lip balm to his top lip.

"Sorry," she apologized, taking another careful swipe to cover his lower lip. "So I guess I'll just have to put this on for you next time. If you will let me."

"Are you serious?" he muttered in disbelief. Her kindness made him paranoid. What ulterior motive could she have?

"Sure. Why not?" She shrugged, straightening up to stretch her back. She had been stooped over him for quite a while since he was sitting in the chair. Scraping a hunk of the waxy substance off the top of the stick, she warned him, "This might hurt a little."

Once again, Shigaraki's hands gripped the arms of the chair with crushing force as she applied the balm to the deep split in his lips and face. Due to the rawness of the wound, it burned like fire being rubbed into the gap created in skin from his lip cracking. He closed his eyes, grinding his teeth to avoid making any sound that would give away the pain he was enduring. He refused to show any kind of weakness in front of her.

"There. That should be healed up nicely in a few days. The next time it won't hurt so much," she said, placing both products back in the bag.

"Next time," he mumbled irritably, snatching the bag off his desk and throwing it into the drawer. He quickly picked up the protective hand to put it back on his face.

"I'll be leaving. I'm sure you need time to recover from the whole touchy feely thing," she said, wiggling her fingers.

"Are you coming back tonight?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I? I have a job to do, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"'Bye for now, Bossman!"

Shigaraki mutely watched her walk out of the door. For several minutes afterward, he stared at the closed door wondering what the hell had just happened. His face tingled. His entire body felt as if he was being poked with a thousand needles giving him a distinct sense of detachment, multiplying the surrealness of the situation. A loud, insistent banging on the door brought him out of his befuddled stupor.

"What the fuck do you want?!" he shouted.

"Kurogiri said you wanted to see me," Dabi announced from the other side of the door.

"I do?" Shigaraki asked himself. Then he had an idea. "I do! Come in, come in."

"So what's up?" Dabi stood on the other side of the desk, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He looked bored out of his mind as always with his heavy lidded eyes giving the impression he was about to fall asleep on his feet.

"I want you to find out more about this Melina Zusa. I want you to learn all you can about her. Follow her, get close to her. Break into her apartment and go through her shit. Fuck her. Tie her up and torture her. I don't give a damn what you do but find out who she is and what she wants."

"I'd be more than happy to do all of those things to her," he readily agreed with a cruel smirk on his face. "Although... I think she would enjoy some of them."

Shigaraki gave him her address and showed him the plans to her apartment building. Satisfied, smug in his cleverness, he leaned back in his chair to watch Dabi set off on his current mission. Once he knew all of her motives and her plans, he would determine what to do with her. He would make damn sure the punishment fit her plotted transgressions against him. That woman was going to regret the day she decided to fuck with his head.


	4. Chapter 4

Dabi walked through the small corridor between the two apartment houses to the back of the buildings. Her apartment was located on the top floor, back right corner. The fire escape attached to the wall offered a convenient access point. The back of her building was separated by a wide passageway from the back of another building which meant he could scale the fire escape and enter without being seen although it was the middle of the day.

He reached up, grabbing the bottom rung of the ladder to pull it down so he could climb up. He peered into the window from the metal grated landing. She was no where to be seen in the room. A large bed on a square white platform sat against one wall. There was a round glass topped table sitting beside the bed with a small lamp and a book on it. A mirrored make up table like actresses use sat in one corner. A chair that resembled a birdcage hung from the ceiling in the opposite corner.

"Man, this woman really is weird," he mumbled to himself.

Dabi studied the single, ancient flip latch on the inside of the window. Pulling the switchblade knife from his back pocket, he pressed the handle to the space where the top and bottom windows met then extended the blade. It shot up between the windows, pressing against the thumb pad of the latch. The wood of the window rail creaked as he pulled the handle up to push the blade forward. Although the lock was old it was well oiled and slid forward without much effort. He bent the blade of the knife to finally push the latch completely open, but he didn't care. Pressing his palms against the glass in the frame, he pushed up the window to gain entrance into her apartment. Well that was easy.

Briefly he poked around her bedroom, opening the drawers to her make up table and thumbing through the book of poetry on her bedside table. He pushed open one door to find it led to a bathroom with a massive glassed in shower stall big enough for four or five people to take a shower at once. There was a slate gray tiled seat attached to one wall of the shower. Multiple shower heads were pointed to the middle of the large stall. The bathtub could accommodate almost as many people as the shower. The kinky possibilities of this place almost made him blush.

The second door in her bedroom opened into the living room. Minimalist decorating; a white two person couch, two matching chairs, a coffee table and nothing more. All straight, clean lines in the super modern design of the few furnishings. No unnecessary frou frou taking up space and gathering dust. Not what he expected. He had pictured fussy, puffy furniture, eye popping colors, and lots of pointless knick knacks.

A bowl of fruit sat in the middle of the counter separating the sunny yellow kitchen from the living room. Dabi helped himself to a bright green apple. He actually took time to sniff the flowers; a hodge podge of types and colors in a long necked, round bottomed white vase sitting an equal distance between the fruit bowl and the wall of the kitchen. The only other thing on the butter yellow Formica counter top were a few pieces of mail.

Dabi thumbed through the envelopes while he munched on the pilfered apple. A power bill and a credit card bill both addressed to Melina Zusa. A piece of junk mail directed to current resident. A letter from...a lawyer? The return address indicated it came from a place called North Carolina in America.

"Hmmm, very interesting," he muttered through a mouthful of apple.

"Isn't it though?"

Dabi grunted and rolled his eyes. He had not heard her come in. So much for being stealthy, in and out before she knew he had been here.

Slowly, he turned around to see Melina standing behind him. She was dressed in a yellow tank top and high-waisted black short shorts. The only time he had seen her in less clothes was in her waitress uniform. Her legs were short, her thighs thick and muscular. Her skirts, even the short uniform skirt, had hidden most of her thighs. The creamy, milk white flesh appeared as if it would be firm but supple under his hands.

His eyes glided up her body. She wasn't wearing a bra. The hardened nipples of her small but pert breasts pushed at the cotton fabric of her shirt. Nice.

Once again she surprised him. She was not wearing make up. Her eyes appeared to be bigger and rounder without the thick, dramatic lines of black eye liner. Her lips were thinner and a dark pink color under the red, red lipstick she usually wore. A natural pink coloration tinted her cheeks, possibly from the heat of the day. Her hair was slightly disheveled, loose tendrils from her bun hanging down around her face. Not being quite so perfect made her look human rather than like a department store mannequin.

Then he took note of the expression on her face. Oh, shit. She glowered at him so furiously he could almost feel the heat of her glare. Her eyebrows were pinched together but also raised, furrowing her forehead with deep 'what the fuck' lines. Her pink lips had turned white from being compressed into such a hard straight line. Beyond the shadow of a doubt she was extremely pissed.

Rightly so. He had a committed a crime after all, breaking and entering. He figured the only reason she had not hit him was because her hands were full. She held a basket of flowers in one hand and a jar full of a viscous golden fluid in the other.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Are you being serious right now?" she growled, carefully setting the basket and jar on the counter. "You should be telling me what the fuck you're doing here. Or is it exactly what it looks like you're doing?"

"What am I doing here?" he mockingly questioned her, taking another bite of the apple.

"Breaking into my apartment. Stealing my food. Spying on me. Gathering information to run back and tell Shigaraki," she listed, counting each one off on her fingers. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. That sums it up." He glanced around the kitchen in search of a trash can in which to toss the core.

"There." She pointed to the cabinet door to the left of the sink. "Compost bin."

"Aren't you environmentally conscious and shit?" He opened the door and took off the lid of the compact plastic bin to toss in the apple core.

"What am I supposed to do with you now?" Melina sighed, leaning wearily against the counter.

"I can think of a few things," he said, moving to the sink.

"What do you want, Dabi?"

"You already know what I want," he said, turning on the faucet to wash his hands.

The hand soap smelled like lemons. The scent matched the color of the kitchen.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to leave," she returned, giving him a withering glare when he turned to face her once more. Her pretty face had transformed into an ugly mask of outrage tempered by the sadness of betrayal in her eyes. "Get out. Go!"

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" He stepped closer to her, expecting her to back away.

In her bare feet, she was several inches, at least half a foot, shorter than him. He loomed over her, looking down at her. She was not the least bit intimidated by the height difference. Her upturned chin rested on his chest as she tilted her head back to stare daggers up at him.

"Get out," she repeated, forcing the words through her tightly clenched teeth.

Instead of leaving, he raised his hand to touch a stray lock of her glossy, coal black hair. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he drew his fingers downward to where the end curled against her chest. Letting go of her hair, he pressed his palm to her chest. Her heart was fluttering madly like a caged bird beating its wings against the bars of her rib cage in search of freedom.

Dabi did not understand her interest in him. Melina had made it obvious in no uncertain terms what she wanted from him. _Why_ did she want him? He had no redeeming qualities, not in looks and certainly not in personality. Despite her bawdy flirtations with him, he regarded her as unattainable, not meant for someone like him. Shigaraki would say her attraction to him was an act anyway.

Although she excelled at being aloof and emotionally unavailable, the golden honey colored eyes he looked into showed a softness, a kindness behind the present blatant, boiling anger. No. She wasn't the person she was pretending to be. Or perhaps her acting skills were top notch. He didn't know, but he meant to find out. He had a mission after all.

Dabi put his arms around her. Her body was warm, soft, and pleasant to hold. He lowered his nose toward her messy hair. Her present slight imperfections in contrast to her typical perfect doll like quality made her appear vulnerable, more human, easily damaged and broken. Inhaling her scent, he picked up the aroma of lavender, mint, and honeysuckle combining into an intoxicating perfume. For the first time in a long time, his heart came alive, thumping disturbingly hard and fast in his chest.

"Tell me to go, and I'll go," he whispered. Her body started to shake prompting him to tighten his arms around her.

"G-go," Melina stuttered, squirming in his arms.

"That's not very convincing. Make me believe you don't want me here, and I'll leave," he taunted her, allowing his lips to brush the outer curve of her ear.

Dabi was not prepared for what happened next. Suddenly, he was roughly shoved backwards. His lower back came into painful contact with the counter top behind him. The back of her hand came crashing across his face with a punishing impact that jerked his head to the side so forcefully an electrical sting of pain jolted down his neck. Damn! She was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. No damsel in distress here.

Enraged, he lunged forward. Bum-rushing her, ramming his shoulder into her stomach, he folded her over his shoulder. He not only heard but felt the air surge out of her after slamming into her diaphragm. Picking her up like a gigantic sack of flour, he carried her to the bedroom to mercilessly fling her onto the bed. She hit the mattress with an audible 'oof,' the puffy coverlet gathering under her as she slid across it.

Dabi took hold of her ankle, dragging her down to the end of the bed where he stood. She kicked him squarely in the belly making him feel as if he might throw up. Placing his hands on her thighs, he pushed down her wildly kicking legs, pinning them to the mattress. Since her arms were still unhindered, he received powerful slaps and closed fist punches from her.

"Stop it. Stop it!" he yelled. He felt his bottom lip separate and a warm wetness leaked down his chin. "I just want to talk to you!"

This fierce little woman was laying a hurting on him he had not anticipated. His right cheek throbbed where she had slapped him earlier, and she balanced out the pain by slapping him across the left. She did not look capable of such violence or strength. With each stinging smack, every punishing blow, his savagely beating heart sent the blood flowing faster and faster throughout his body diverting it into places it shouldn't be going at the moment.

Dabi panted for air, feeling as if he could not get enough oxygen as he fought to contain the rabid woman. The excitement, the pleasure induced by the pain, became dizzying in its intensity as if a drug had been shot straight into his veins.

Climbing on top of her, he straddled her legs to sit on her thighs. Now that his hands were free, he struggled to seize her flying fists. At last he was able to grasp her wrists. When she flung her arms above her head in her attempt to liberate herself, he fell forward on top of her. Coming nose to nose with her, his chest bearing down on hers and pushing her into the cushy mattress, she finally ceased moving.

All that could be heard was their open mouthed breathing as they fought to supply their deprived lungs with the air they needed. Each time he inhaled, her breasts flattened under his chest. Every exhale lifted him away slightly, allowing her chest to expand thereby keeping her in constant intimate contact with him.

"So now what?! Are you going to rape me?!" she shrieked in her fierce anger. "Torture me to make me tell you everything?! What will you do to me, asshole?!" When he did move but continued staring down at her, she screamed furiously in his face, "Just do it already!"

For the first time during their struggle, she unleashed an untamed scream of fear. She raised her hips in a useless attempt to buck him off. Hot, bitter tears streamed down her cheeks. She continued to pitch and roll her body to try to rid herself of him, all to no avail.

Dabi flexed his thighs to hold onto her hips and pressed his entire weight down on her chest. He lay his arms along the length of hers, pushing them down with all of his strength. Within a minute or two, her body stilled under his. He could only assume she ceased fighting him because she could no longer breathe. Raising his body permitted her to inhale which she did with the vigor of a drowning woman. His forehead dropped onto her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath as well. Melina's mewling sobs along with his ragged breaths were the only sound to be heard in the room.

"If you're going to do it, get it over with," she wept, her voice breaking. She hauled in shuddering breaths that made her chest vibrate under his.

Only two thin layers of cotton material separated them so he could feel her taut nipples against his chest which made it difficult to concentrate on formulating the questions he needed to ask her.

"I'm not going to torture you. And I'm damn sure not going to rape you. You've made it quite clear I wouldn't have to force myself on you if I wanted to have sex with you," he said, sitting up on top of her.

Dabi gazed down at her, his eyes meeting her bloodshot, tear filled eyes. If he had a tender heart, he was sure it would be breaking as he looked at her. His body acted before his brain could control his muscles with rational thought. His fingertips stroked her tear stained cheek to comfort her.

"What do you want?" she demanded through her clenched teeth.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"What does it matter? I'm no one."

"What do you want from Shigaraki?"

"Nothing. There's nothing he can give me that I want or need."

"Are you working with the heroes to entrap us?"

"How dare any of you question my motives and desires? You're bad guys aren't you?!" she shouted in harsh judgment, her lips peeling back from her teeth.

"Who are you to judge anyone? What the hell do you want?!" he yelled at her. "That's all we want to know!"

"Who the fuck cares what anyone one of you wants? Why is he so mistrustful of me when he leads a fucking crime syndicate?"

"Bad guys? Good guys? Heroes and villains? Whose to say which is which?" he questioned her in return, his tone just as venomous as hers. "Is it really that simple?"

"No!" she bellowed, raising the top half of her body and supporting herself on her elbows. "No! It's not that simple. For years I have been hopelessly confused about these things. The so called good guys aren't always truly good. They couldn't save my family! Neither are the bad guys completely bad. There is no such thing as absolute good or evil."

When she reached up to touch him, Dabi dismounted her waist. After she dropped her arm lifelessly onto the bed, he lay down on his back beside her, tired and spent from their altercation both physical and verbal. He closed his eyes, laying his arm over them to totally block out the blinding sun filling the room. The dazzling light was obscene in contrast to the dark interaction happening in the room. For several long minutes, neither one of them said anything.

"What were you doing earlier?" Dabi asked her, personally curious.

"While you were snooping around in my apartment?" Melina retorted.

"Yes," he sighed.

"I have a beehive and a flower garden on the roof. I love the bees, and the flowers bring the bees to me. I make bouquets with the flowers. I harvest the honey to the help them. I use all of the gifts from the bees, not just the honey...the honeycomb, the beeswax, the royal jelly... to make skincare products," she rambled for no apparent reason other than expelling nervous energy.

Dabi allowed her to talk without interruption. He needed a minute to rest anyway.

"There's nothing subversive or even exciting about my intentions. I have no agenda." She waved her arms around helplessly. "There is no grand plan to take down an evil organization. Like I've said before, I'm not a hero or a villain. I'm just me."

Melina sat up, lifting her shirt to below her breasts. She immediately had his undivided attention. The skin across her belly bore wide stripes the same mottled purple coloration and wrinkled appearance of his burn scarred flesh. It looked as if a fire had scratched her, clawing at her rather than covering her completely in an attempt to destroy her entire body. She rolled up onto her hip, showing him her back that bore the same random streaks of marred skin from between her shoulder blades down to the top of her shorts.

He could not help but wonder if the marks covered her behind. She put down her shirt then flopped down onto her back. He wouldn't be finding out today.

"Making creams and lotions to heal damaged skin, to alleviate scars and pain..." Her voice broke and trailed off. She sniffled then continued speaking. "That is my ulterior motive."

"Hmmm," he hummed, folding his arms behind his head. "Then you're really quite boring after all."

"Yeah. I am," she agreed with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint."

Melina Zusa didn't disappoint him at all. Their brief but violent scuffle began to replay in his head like a movie. He recalled the breathtaking arousal her vicious attacks had elicited in him. What a stupid thing to be thinking about at a time like this.

Dabi sat up, scooting to the end of the bed to sit up. He should leave. When she moved to sit beside him, he placed his hand on her chin, turning her face to make her look at him. She stunned him by placing her hand on his cheek, her thumb gingerly moving across his split lip. The stinging discomfort made him inhale sharply.

"I'm sorry," she apologized in a low, breathy voice. "I'll get something for that.'

Melina dropped her hand from his face. She leaned forward in preparation to stand up.

 _No, don't move,_ he thought.

"Don't go," he said aloud, placing his hand on her thigh to keep her still. Her silky soft skin, her firmly toned muscles, felt as enticing as he thought they would.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Her eyes looked watery with tears again.

"Not all pain is bad," he murmured, his eyes delving deeply into hers. "Sometimes it can be quite pleasurable."

"Oh?" The blush coloring her porcelain white cheeks deepened to a red as red as the petals of poppy flower.

He took her hand in his, raising it back to his face. Using her forefinger, he traced several of the staples embedded his cheek. Her fingers flexed, and she tried to pull away, but he forced her to touch them. Her slightly curled little finger accidentally raked over his sore lip. Hissing again in discomfort, he flinched away from her. Although it hurt, the unexpected shot of pain had sent a delightful burst of bliss coursing through his entire body.

Melina snatched her hand out of his. However, she was not done with her inquisitive exploration of his face. She cautiously touched the silver stud in his right nostril, then the two hoops also piercing his nose. Her fingers drifted across the burn scars on his face and down his neck to the ones on his chest.

"Did it hurt?" she asked.

"Not too much. Once the nerve endings were scorched, I couldn't feel a thing," he answered truthfully. He reached for the hem of her tank top, pulling it upward. His hand roved over her scarred belly that quivered under his fingertips. "Did these hurt?"

"Like a motherfucker," she replied, managing a smile.

"You've got such a damn dirty mouth," he teased, following the shape of her lips with his fingertip. "I like it."

Dabi held his breath as her cool, smooth fingertips cautiously probed the staples along his chest. As much as he liked her violent side, her tender touch definitely had its merits as well. The gentleness of the contact made his heart palpitate, and his breath came in short gasping inhales.

"What is the purpose of these staples? "

"I don't want to talk about it," he sharply snapped, feeling as if he was waking up out of the spell she had cast on him. "I should go."

He had been feeling something - and way too much of that something. Their instantaneous closeness, their unexpected familiarity unnerved him. He had to get away from it, away from her. However, he hesitated, expecting her to protest. He would stay if she asked him to. When his eyes met hers, there was a cold lack of emotion hardening their golden brown color into fossilized amber.

"Then go."

* * *

~\\..'../~

Melina watched him climb out of her open bedroom window. Once he withdrew his long leg through the window and disappeared from her sight down the fire escape, she lay back on the bed issuing a despondent groan.

 _What the fuck was that?,_ she contemplated silently, ignoring the pulsating ache in her arms and legs. She had not engaged in a physical fight in a quite some time. Although tired and sore, she felt exhilarated. He had been brutal, unyielding. Yet when he had embraced her...she tried not to think about how thrilled she had felt being in his arms.

Studying the intricate design of the metal plates attached to the ceiling, she decided she would have to have a nice chat with the owner of the building. This place had its charm, but Dabi's ability to enter so easily set her on edge. It was ridiculous they installed an expensive decorative metal tile ceiling yet the windows were remnants from the long gone era whose fashion statements she favored.

Melina took her fashion cues from her grandmother who dressed like a 1940s Hollywood actress throughout her enter life even being buried in her favorite outfit complete with hat and high heels. Her grandmother had actually been an actress during that time period. Unfortunately, she was never popular, enduring a short, lackluster career stuck mostly in background roles, an extra. Yet she remained the consummate diva, deluded in her own importance. Although her grandmother was certifiably crazy, she loved her dearly. Where she came from, families didn't hide crazy. They dressed up their deranged family member, paraded them on the the front porch for all to see, and called them eccentric should anyone criticize.

Melina recalled Dabi's face as he held her down on the bed using his body to keep her still. His half closed eyes had stared into hers, holding no pity but glittering with overt sexual desire. The half smile tilting up one corner of his mouth showing his sadistic delight in his dominance over her. Seeing him like that had bred a heaviness in the lowest part of her belly, ignited a heat between her thighs.

"Oh, my god," she whispered out loud, closing her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Here she lay conjuring up a romantic scenario out of the grappling match with the man who broke into her apartment to spy on her. It was becoming clear to her that she was a bit touched in the head too. Mental illness was hereditary after all. _Thanks Granny for your fashion sense and your crazy._

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you weren't expecting a sweet, fluffy romance because that won't be happening - definitely a romance of sorts, but definitely not fluffy.

I'm not sure how long it will be before the next chapter because I actually wrote these last two together. By all means, please leave a review. All opinions and thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

I want to offer my thanks for reviews to maxridelover, Terrance Johnny Stanford, and ScultoneSenpai. It means a lot to me that not only did you take the time to read my story, you took the time to express your thoughts before going on with your day. Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Good news! The muses are being good to me. Please enjoy the new installment. Thank you for the encouraging reviews,bbymojo and natsu-no-himitsu. Thanks for the favorites and follows too.

* * *

When Melina arrived at the bar for work, her eyes immediately went to the back booth. No Dabi. He had not come to the bar for several days; not since the apartment incident. The blonde school girl with the messy buns on the sides of her head was there. Seeing the girl gave her a sense of relief, allowing her to convince herself that he would be there later to meet his companion.

"Good evening, my Queen," Kurogiri said using his unnecessarily flattering greeting.

"I have a present for you," she announced, pulling the jar of purified honey out of purse.

"A gift?" He picked up the small jar studying the clear amber liquid inside.

"I thought you might want to use this in some of your cocktails instead of plain old sugar in simple syrup. The honey will give them a new dimension in taste."

The portal user chuckled. Her choice of words amused him greatly. She knew all of their powers and their names. She had decided to do a little research of her own. Breaking into the computer records of documented villains on file at the local hero agencies and police entities wasn't that difficult. The self-professed good guys were far too trusting in their security systems. Or perhaps they allowed themselves to be rendered willfully ignorant by their own sense of self-importance, believing themselves to be above reproach and untouchable.

"Thank you," he told her politely.

"You're very welcome," she rejoined, stowing her purse under the bar. "Time to get to work."

"Yes, your highness."

For the first time since coming in, she noticed the stool at the end of the bar was empty. She tried not to be too paranoid that Shigaraki was not there.

The bar was busy as usual, catering to stressed or just plain bored villains who needed to relax and blow off steam. For the most part, everyone stayed calm, choosing to imbibe their drinks in peace. Some sat by themselves lost in their own thoughts. Others chatted and laughed with comrades.

Magne and Twice arrived, sitting in booth three like they had every night so far. Melina ordered a beer, a shot of tequila, and a martini for them. They appeared to be creatures of habit. She would find out soon if they always preferred the same drinks.

"Hey there, Big Sis," she greeted Magne sitting the martini down in front of her.

"Hey, Bee, what's up?"

Melina liked the friendly familiarity that had developed after their rough start. All of them had taken to calling her Queen Bee or just Bee.

"Same old stuff, different night. Speaking of that, you didn't want anything different did you? I know this is what you two always order," she said, placing the beer and shot glass down for Twice.

"Nope. I'm good," Magne replied, sipping her drink. "Just keep them coming, busy Bee."

"It's great. Thanks," Twice returned without looking at her. The bruises had finally healed, and he did not want more.

Jin Bubaigawara, also known as Twice. She was grateful as hell she didn't have to call him by his real name. Their preferred villain moniker seemed to be the accepted way of addressing each other here.

Swiveling on the ball of her foot to return to the bar for the next order, Melina pulled up short when she came nose to hand. Holding the tray in front of her chest like a shield, she backed up a step from Shigaraki, bumping into the table.

"Good evening, sir," she greeted him with a forced but insincerely genuine smile. Her official 'fuck you, but I have to be nice to you' smile.

Dabi walked past behind Shigaraki. He did not give her a glance much less a hello.

 _Well, fuck you too, pal. You broke into my apartment and assaulted me. Why the hell are you ignoring me?_ , she thought to herself indignantly.

Melina realized Shigaraki was still standing a few inches in front of her. He was not moving but continued staring at her with his hate filled red eyes.

"Is there something you need, sir?" she questioned Shigaraki.

"Why don't we give everyone a little demonstration of your skills?" he suggested.

"Here? Now?" She began to shake. She didn't want to do it.

"Well, these are your comrades. They should know what you can do, what you have to offer." He placed his hand on the tray, his thumb sweeping across the back of her hand. "I know you're accustomed to being the one giving the orders, but you must fulfill the request you have been given. Your compliance is required for you to stay here."

She gulped, relinquishing the tray to him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Use your friend Twice here."

"Huh?" said a very alarmed Twice from behind her.

"Make him your dog," he ordered her.

"Okay," she nervously conceded.

Twice stared at her, his eyes wide with panic. She felt sorry for this docile, almost kind side of him. Their first interaction had been intense to say the least. He had avoided touching her and barely talked to her since then. She couldn't blame him. Most of them knew she could hold her own in a physical altercation, but it was time to show her quirk.

Placing one hand on the table to balance herself, Melina leaned across to him. She cupped his jaw with her other hand. The stubble on his face felt like sandpaper against her palm. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed spasmodically.

"I won't hurt you," she promised him, leaning closer.

"I don't believe you," he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, pressing her lips to his.

Melina's belly tightened with apprehension. She loathed having to do this, especially with Dabi watching. A hot, sick sensation enveloped her as the pheromone laced saliva filled her mouth. Finding Twice's lips slightly parted, she pushed her tongue through to deposit the fluid into his mouth. When he groaned, the nausea inside of her expanded, and she feared the might vomit into the unsuspecting man's mouth. Pulling away quickly, she grabbed the shot of tequila and tossed it back. Throwing a fierce glance behind her at Shigaraki, she straightened up, backing away carefully.

"Now what?" Twice asked, obviously not feeling anything.

"Wow, that's some impressive quirk," Toga sneered, peering at her from her booth with Dabi.

Melina refused to look at Dabi. Although she did not owe him any explanations because he was of no relationship consequence to her at the moment, she couldn't help feeling like she had done something wrong in his eyes. What did it matter? This was how her quirk worked, and there was not a damn thing she could do about it.

"Stand up," she said to Twice.

His eyes glazed over, his pupils dilating until the black blocked out the gray of his irises. He pushed himself to the end of the seat, and stood up in front of her as ordered. An unnerving silence filled the bar. Not even a cube of ice clinked in a glass.

"Get down on your knees."

Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees.

"Bark like a dog." When he fulfilled this command, laughter broke out across the bar. "Beg."

Twice cupped his hands to resemble paws, stuck out his tongue, and panted. Then he closed his mouth and whimpered, his eyes widening into puppy dog eyes. A gale of uproarious laughter filled the place.

 _Poor guy_. He was going to be humiliated when they teased him about this later. The worst part was he wouldn't remember anything he had done.

"Crawl around on all fours and wag your tail."

The blond man dropped to his hands, shuffling around on his hands and knees to mimic a dog walking. He stopped in front of her, swinging his butt from side to side to emulate wagging an invisible tail. His obedience elicited more raucous laughter, louder and longer this time.

"That's enough," she said, turning to Shigaraki. "They get the idea."

"It's enough when I say it's enough," he growled at her.

Melina glowered at him with rage. She bent down, telling the man on all fours to get up. Putting her arm around his waist, she ushered him back to the booth and assisted him with sitting down. Twice slumped against the wall, sound asleep.

"He will wake up in about thirty minutes," she told Magne whose sunglasses shielded her eyes and prevented Melina from being able to see if she was furious. "He might be a little disoriented, but he will be fine."

"You weren't done," Shigaraki said, blocking her path of retreat with his body.

Melina glared at the man who was actually a few inches shorter than her since she was wearing her four inch heels. She dared to touch him, pressing her hands against his chest to push him back in order to put some distance between herself and him. His chest had felt bony and delicate under her hands like she could easily break his sternum and ribs by exerting a little more force. The urge to crush him like a bug was so tempting. She dropped her hands away from him lest she forget he could grab her by the arm and disintegrate it.

"Yes, I am," she snarled at him.

Stomping to the bar, she snatched her purse from underneath.

"Where are you going?" Kurogiri asked her.

"Home," she snapped irritably.

"But - "

"I can't!" she exclaimed. Then she repeated more softly, "I'm done for tonight. With everything."

Kurogiri did not argue with her. Not that his protests would have done any good. Melina could feel all eyes on her as she headed for the door. For the first time, she abhorred being the center of attention.

Bursting through the door as if rising above the water where she was drowning, she breathed in a huge gulp of the city air. The smells of street food and car exhaust mingled with the stench of desperation and disillusionment. Ah, the fantastic aroma of the city. She missed her country home. Wide open fields full of trees and flowers. White boxes full of bees, the man made beehives stretching like small condominiums for the honey makers, as far at the eye could see.

"God, I hate this fucking place," she muttered, setting off down the street toward the subway station.

At two in the morning, not many people were in the subway station. She and four other people stood on the platform waiting for the train. The scrape of footsteps behind her warned her that a fifth person had showed up and stood far too close to her on the almost empty platform. The energy - warm, serene, somewhat comforting - felt familiar.

"That wasn't very smart," Dabi chastised her. "To defy Shigaraki then publicly embarrass him by walking away. He was having an absolute meltdown after you left."

"Throwing a hissy fit like a two year old who didn't get his toy, I'm sure," Melina muttered crossly. She couldn't care less how humiliated that man felt after he had ordered the degradation of another.

"You shouldn't be here alone," he said.

"Why do you care?" Melina groused, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

"What makes you think that I do?" he questioned her coldly.

"Yeah, silly me," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"I'll see you home," he announced.

"You really don't have to - "

"I want to," he interjected, cutting off her words.

"Fine. Whatever."

What the hell was wrong with him? She could take care of herself. He of all people should know that after their little tussle in her apartment. Or was that what he was after? Another wrestling session with possibly a bit more intimacy this time? She wasn't in the mood to play love games.

Melina had hoped he would lose interest and go back to the bar - or any where away from her. Instead, he boarded the train with her, even going as far as to take her by the elbow to escort her into the car. She took a seat in the corner to distance herself from him but found herself trapped when he sat down beside her. Hip to hip, they rode in silence.

At her stop, she virtually ran off the train. Her high heels clicked rapidly on the concrete as she sprinted for the stairs to get to the street level. Using the handrail, she took the stairs two at a time like a champion hurdler rather than a pissed off woman in high heels. She emerged on the sidewalk and dashed for her apartment.

Then she wondered why she was running. He had already broken into her apartment once, what was to stop him from doing it again? She halted in the middle of the sidewalk, huffing loudly in aggravation

"Fuck me," she cursed under her breath, the weight of crushing defeat making her shoulders sag.

"Is that a request?" Dabi asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Damn you, Dabi," she panted.

Of course he could easily catch up with her because of his much longer legs. In movies, stalkers and serial killers could always catch up with their victims by idly walking behind them no matter how fast they ran away. She had needlessly expended energy. Plus she was all sweaty. Gross!

"Ugh," she grunted.

Dabi strolled beside her casually as they walked to the front door of her apartment building. Melina punched in her pass code on the metallic box attached to the glass door. Glass didn't seem so secure but maybe it was bulletproof or something. The security measures of this place seemed pointless as a whole anyway.

Melina did not speak to him as she took the stairs instead of the elevator. Perhaps he would get tired out or at least winded. By the time they reached her apartment, it appeared the only person winded by the athletic jaunt up the stairs was her. If only she hadn't participated in the impromptu marathon of senseless desperation, she would be okay. After typing in another code into the box on her door, she went inside with him still following.

"Make yourself at home," she told him. "You seem damned determine to do so no matter how unwelcome you are."

"Where are you going?" he questioned her.

"To take a shower," she replied, opening her bedroom door.

"Can I join you?"

"No, you can't join me!"

Melina slammed and locked her bedroom door. She undressed on her way to the bathroom then locked the door behind her. The locks might not stop him, but they would at least slow him down. Turning on the faucet, she activated all three shower heads switching the water stream to intense pulses that were like a percussion massage. After boiling and scrubbing what she deemed a sufficient amount of time to slough off the bullshit of the day, she shut off the water.

Shockingly, she found herself alone in the bathroom. She had fully expected him to pick the locks and intrude upon her. Wrapping one buttery yellow towel around her body, she twisted her hair up into a second one. Relaxed, her guard down, she stepped into her bedroom. She gasped and jumped back from the shock of seeing the man in her room.

"Goddamit, Dabi!" she shrieked, pressing her hand over her heart to keep it from beating through her chest.

Dabi sat on the foot of her bed with his shirt off. Flawless, lightly tanned skinned covered most of his torso and his upper arms. His bare feet were still flat on the floor, but he leaned back on his elbows as if giving her permission to look at him as long as she wanted. She noted that the toes on his feet were not burned like the fingers of his hands remained undamaged.

Her eyes moved back to his chest where the staples held the perfect and imperfect skin together. Her line of view, glided down his body, taking in the expanse of unblemished skin covering his thin but delicately muscled torso. She assumed the smooth, barely sun kissed skin continued much further down because his pants hung so low on his hips she could see a few curls of pubic hair above the waistband. The hair appeared to have a reddish tint to it which was odd considering his hair was the deepest, darkest black like hers.

"I'm tired, Dabi," she proclaimed truthfully, weariness making her voice weak and breathy.

"Come here." He issued the words like a gentle command.

Melina boldly stepped toward him, standing between his widely spread legs. She took the towel off her head, allowing her wet, unbound hair fall where it wanted to on her body. It hung like damp tendrils of seaweed, plastering itself to her neck and bare shoulders. The towel around her body soaked up the dripping water and kept the strands from sticking to her. The longest parts of her hair hung almost to her waist, straightened by the weight of the water.

Dabi sat up, taking a sopping lock between his fingers and gliding them downward the way he had during their encounter in the kitchen during his breaking and entering episode.

"It's so long," he said, touching the hair laying over her arm that held her towel to her body. His hand pressed to her arm. "Take off the towel. Let me see you."

"No," she replied flatly showing no anger or offense.

"Take it off," he repeated, standing up in front of her. The fingers of both of his hands folded over the top of the towel on either side of her hand clutching it together above her breasts.

"Don't you dare," she warned him. His fingers laying against her skin flexed, sending a shiver of anticipation throughout her entire body. At the same time, her belly tightened with dread.

Dabi pulled, jerking the towel free, and flinging it behind him with a flourish like a bull fighter.

"Asshole," she growled, not bothering to try to hide her body.

Melina stood in front of him naked as the day she was born with all of her scars on display for him to see. She had not shown him how the scars extended over her breasts, spoiling the delicate ivory skin, streaking across the brownish pink areolas where the tissue had folded into permanently rumpled flesh. There were purple lines across her belly and her thighs. He had yet to see the slashes across her behind that resembled permanent marks from an S&M spanking game gone horribly wrong.

She watched his impassive face as his curious eyes wandered over her body from her neck down to her thighs and back again many times. Suddenly he did not seem to want to touch her. Maybe he had no desire for her anymore. She snatched the towel out of his hand that hung limply at his side.

"Happy?" she demanded curtly.

"No, don't cover them up," he requested, pushing her hand down to prevent her from holding the towel in front of her body. His hand cupped her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek, as his eyes met hers. "You're right. Scars can be beautiful."

"What are - " She began speaking only to be cut off when his mouth covered hers.

His lips were soft, his kiss tender. Oh, it was nice to kiss someone and actually want it. But she couldn't. She shouldn't. Whimpering, pushing her hands against his chest, she tried to shove him away which only prompted him to press his lips to hers with a more insistent, almost bruising, force. Pushing against him with all of her might, extending her arms, she was able to finally break the kiss. His lips still hovered dangerously close to hers.

"No, don't. You can't. You've seen what I can do."

"I did," he responded, his lips brushing across hers when he spoke. "But you're not a cruel mistress."

"I've ordered people to commit murder."

"Don't fool yourself. I already am one."

"Dabi," she breathed, yearning to move those few millimeters forward to kiss him.

"You're right about something else too," he said, kissing the tip of her nose.

"What's that?" The muscles in her arms were starting to burn and give way due to the constant pressure of his body pushing against him. She trembled with the effort of holding him at bay and the frigid chill that had taken hold of her.

"Bad guys aren't always bad straight down to the core. Sometimes even a villain likes to be shown a little kindness in this fucked up world. A warm embrace," he murmured, drawing her into him with one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders. His lips ghosted across her cheek with the promise of a kiss but withholding it. His fingers massaged her back. "A gentle touch."

"Dabi, stop," she begged, dropping her arms to allow her chest to press against his.

He was warm, so warm. She lowered her chin to keep him from kissing her. However, he hooked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His heavy lidded eyes appeared sleepier than normal as his brilliant turquoise irises captivated hers. She no longer tried to resist him. Why would she when she wanted his kiss?

"A sweet kiss," he whispered, fitting his mouth to hers.

 _No, no, no,_ she chanted inwardly as the pheromone automatically flooded her mouth. His tongue breached her lips, tasting her tongue and the honey flavor of her mouth.

"Oh, god," he moaned between laps of his tongue between her honeyed lips. "You taste amazing."

If she didn't say anything, maybe the pheromone would wear off without her uttering a single command. Whatever he did to her, she wanted him to do it of his own volition. She wanted him to remember.

"Are you okay?" Dabi asked after lifting his mouth from hers.

Melina nodded. _Don't talk to him. Do not speak a word. Not a single word._

"Talk to me. Say my name," he requested.

She shook her head so vigorously it made her dizzy. When his arms enclosed her body, picking her up to swing her around, she cried out in surprise. She had expected another flight before a harsh landing on the bed. Her eyes held his as he carefully lay her down, held secure in his arms. When her back contacted the mattress, his arms unwound from around her but he stayed close, keeping his body suspended above hers as he slowly went down with her. Being put on the bed like this was definitely preferred to being carelessly tossed onto the mattress like a discarded stuffed animal.

"Do you want me?" he questioned her, pushing the damp hair away from her face. He pressed himself between her legs, and it was not difficult to feel his stiff, engorged member through the thick cotton fabric of his pants. "Do you want this?"

Melina nodded enthusiastically. She did indeed. But another time. Not tonight. Not like this. Something didn't feel quite right. Needless to say, she knew a lot about control. Dabi was making a power play. It became clear to her he was manipulating her, testing to see how far he could go, how much dominance he could gain over her. If she gave him too much too soon, she had no doubt it would come back to haunt her further down the road of life.

"Stop," she whispered.

He completely froze into position as if she had hit a button.

"Roll over, Dabi," she commanded him.

Dabi rolled off of her onto his back. She giggled. She couldn't help it.

Melina got off the bed, going to her closet. She pulled a short black silk chemise from its hanger and tugged the gown over her head. Standing at the end of the bed, she considered the man lying there, his eyes open and staring blankly at the ceiling.

What now? She had an idea that might be pleasing to the both of them though not quite as satisfying as sex she had to admit.

"Here's what's going to happen," she began, walking around to the side of the bed to pull down the covers. "You're going to get into this bed beside me. You'll spoon me all night, holding me in your arms. We will both wake up refreshed from a good night's sleep. Got it, Dabi?"

"Got it," he parroted back to her, wedging his body under the snow white sheets to lay beside her. Dutifully, he fitted his body to hers, his chest to her back, draping his arm across her waist.

Melina struggled to free herself from his powerful embrace. When he would not loosen his grip, she gave him the order to let go so she could switch off the lamp on the bedside table. When she returned to her previous position, he quickly pulled her back into his ardent backwards hug, although she had not said another word to him.

For several minutes, she lay in the darkness concentrating on the sensation of his heart thumping against her shoulder blade. Unconsciously she matched her breathing pattern to his. She allowed each rise and fall of his chest, his skin grazing across hers, to soothe her and relax her. His every respiration mesmerized her, pulling her down into unconsciousness until she fell asleep in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Just a few things before we get started. There are several switches in this chapter between scenes and points of view. Some events even occur simultaneously. I did my best to try to separate the excerpts for easier reading. I do hope the timeline is easy to figure out. These events do take place over the span of a day. What a day!

I have to express my thanks to my reviewers. The positive response has been so helpful in motivating me. I am listing your names to give you a more personal thank you. You are by no means listed in any particular order, all being important, only by order of review for last chapter: bbymojo, Terrance Johnny Stanford, Ichigo0-0Rose, maxridelover, OddlyParanoid, and dizzydaz97. Those few extra minutes you take to leave your thoughts is appreciated.

I am also grateful to those who favorite and follow. I appreciate you as well. I feel a flutter with every new favorite and/or follow. I will do my best to not disappoint.

So on with the reading. Please enjoy. It's quite a ride so buckle up, buttercups, and I'll meet you on the other side.

* * *

~\\..'../~

WHAT. THE. FUCK. The words were stuck inside his head. Unable to speak, Dabi managed a pitiful groan to express his misery. His eyelids refused to part, weighed down by the death like slumber that did not want to let him go. A buzz like a thousand bees inside his skull pulsated through his brain. A humming vibrated his eardrums. What the hell did she do to him?

Gossamer fibers like the threads of spider web tickled his nose and forehead. Somehow he moved his hand, reaching up to grab a handful of the minuscule strings laying across his cheek. He pulled, hearing a small whimper. The body beside his moved. The contact of skin against skin, felt both comforting and disconcerting all at once. His fingers tightened around the spider's web, pulling harder.

"Dabi, stop."

Melina's voice. The shock of recognition separated his heavy eyelids with ease. Instantly he remembered: he was in her room, in her bed. Positioned on his side, she lay in front of him on her side, her back pressed to his chest. They must have slept that way all night.

Coming further into consciousness, he realized he wasn't trapped in a spider's web. Her silky hair covered his face, wrapping around his entire head. He recalled seeing she had long hair, black waves almost down to her waist. He combed his fingers through her lengthy mane, carefully dragging it away from his face without pulling it again.

Dabi had seen her naked. Her scars served only to heighten her beauty in his eyes, intriguing him and drawing him to her like the metaphorical moth to the flame. He had found her exquisite doll perfect beauty off putting. The horrendous scars caused by pain, and possibly brutality, made her human, accessible - fallible. Her damage going beyond her skin made him believe she could understand him. She might even accept him completely.

His eyes followed the sloping angle of her neck. His hand cupped her shoulder. She did not move. Gliding his hand down her back, his fingers hooked under the tiny strap of her nightgown, pulling it over her shoulder. His head inclined forward a few inches so he could kiss the diagonal purple mark across her shoulder blade.

His hand continued sliding down her arm as he covered the scars across her back with little kisses. Pressing his palm to her thigh, he focused on the softness of her skin, the compact firmness of her muscles underneath. His fingers skimmed up her thigh, edging under the hem of her gown and gathering the material to allow him access to more of her silky smooth, and oh so wonderful to touch, skin.

Dabi scooted his entire body downward, placing individual kisses along her spine until the nightgown halted his progress. Pushing his hand upward, he lifted the black silk to reveal her lily white ass marked with the purple stripes. Such a wonderful contrast of beauty and ugliness. It was almost unfair that he took pleasure in the permanent evidence of the pain she had suffered.

"Mmmm, yes. How lovely," he murmured to himself, a pulsing discomfort forming below his waist.

Tentatively, he placed a tender kiss on one of the scars. The muscles in her behind flexed under his lips. He kissed another one of the numerous marks after she stirred and moaned lightly. The variance in texture of her satiny skin and the hard muscle elicited an urge he could not resist. His teeth gently tested the softness of her skin, nibbling lightly when encountering the sinewy resistance of the underlying muscle. Clenching his jaws, he bit down harder, being careful to not break the skin. He felt her jerk away from him wrenching her flesh out of his mouth.

"OOOOOWWWWWWWW!" Melina howled like a banshee.

She jumped up from the bed as if she had been launched out of it by a cannon. Her bleary eyes blindly scanned the room. Hopelessly confused and in agony, she rubbed her injured behind while tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"OH MY GOD! YOU BIT ME!" she screeched in bewildered disbelief.

Dabi experienced a strange fluttering sensation in his chest. The muscles in his face contracted and pulled his lips into a wide grin. For a split second it felt like the staples were going to tear through the skin of his cheeks. A tickle raced up his throat and ejected out of his mouth as laughter. She had a strange effect on him. It was like witchcraft.

"DABI!" she shrieked, positively furious.

Her eyes cleared and zeroed in on him with piercing accuracy. Grabbing a pillow, she walloped him as hard as she could right across the face with her fluffy weapon.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Your ass just looked so tasty I couldn't help myself," he laughed, although she was beating the crap out of him with the pillow. She had compacted the feathers into one end making them dense and quite hard, almost like a brick.

"What. The. Hell..." She continued repeating her earlier question, soundly smacking him between each word. It was really beginning to hurt.

"Okay! Stop!" he shouted above the loud thwomps when the ache in his head grew worse from his skull being battered. "Okay! That's enough! STOP!"

He grabbed the pillow, snatching it out of her hands. When she fell forward from the momentum of him taking the pillow away from her, he caught her in his arms. His eyes held hers as she settled herself into his lap facing him, wrapping her legs around his waist. His arms acted automatically, enclosing her body, drawing her securely into his embrace.

"This is nice," he said, luxuriating in her softness and warmth.

"That hurt, you asshole," Melina whined, poking out her lower lip in a pout.

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?" He smoothed her hair back from her face, kissing her cheek.

"Kiss my ass? I'd rather you didn't. In the future, I'll be sure to never tell you to bite my ass either."

"I'd do so with great pleasure." He kissed her chin.

"Mmmm, I have no doubt. DABI!" she yelled when he plastered his hands to her butt cheeks and squeezed.

"Oh, god, I love to hear you scream my name," he growled playfully.

Constricting his arms around her, he rolled up onto his knees and dumped her onto her back on the bed. His face tightened, his lips stretching into a smile when she squealed like a woman on a thrill ride in an amusement park. Lying down on top of her, he placed his belly against hers, fitting his hips between her thighs so that his aching erection pressed against the most intimate, and hottest temperature wise, part of her.

"What did you do to me last night?" he questioned her.

"Absolutely nothing," she answered succinctly.

Melina issued a low grunt when he rocked his hips slightly. The little bit of friction inflicted by the coarse cotton of his pants eased the ache a little before it came back stronger, evolving into an uncomfortable throbbing.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing at all. It's your fault, you know. You kissed me despite seeing what I did to Twice. Stupid," she grumbled.

Whether it was intentional or a subconscious sign, Melina lay her arms back on the bed in the official surrender position like when a police officer corners a criminal and orders them to put their hands up.

Dabi fitted his palm to hers, noting the size difference in their hands. The tips of her fingers barely reached the second joint of his fingers. Her palm disappeared completely under his. So small, so delicate. Easily broken. He slipped his fingers between hers, grasping her hand.

"Did I miss anything fun?"

"No. I wouldn't let you do anything you wouldn't remember," she said, giving him a sheepish smile. "When you fuck me, I want you to remember everything."

"Fuck you?" One corner of his mouth lifted into rakish grin. "Should I punish you for that filthy mouth?"

He lowered his mouth to her neck, giving her a peck. His tongue darted out to taste her flesh again before he nipped her gently. She yelped and jumped under him, bumping his erection with her pubic bone to send a delightful shiver through his entire body. Although unintentional, she was teasing him in the best of ways, but inadvertently causing him pain.

"It feels like you're punishing yourself too," she said.

"Maybe so." He lowered his head to kiss her, but she turned her head so he kissed her cheek instead.

"You can't."

Dabi sighed in frustration, removing his body from hers. Since she did not have a headboard, he sat with his back against the wall, placing the pillow she had used as a weapon in his lap to hide his hard on.

"Why are you here?" Melina asked him, standing up from the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"This," she began, waving her hand around the room, "is not furthering your investigation. You're wasting your time. There's nothing to find out. I'm not a spy for the heroes or anything. I have no desire to bring the villains to some supposed justice. I have no personal vendettas here. So why are you here, in my bedroom, trying to seduce me?"

"Because I want to be here. I didn't have to walk you home last night either, you know."

"I know."

"I like you, Melina."

"Would you be offended if I said I can't believe you?" she inquired bluntly, placing her hands on her hips.

"No. I'd call you call you smart for not believing me." He tossed the pillow aside, scuttling to the foot of the bed. He had overstayed his welcome. Time to go.

"Are you all right?"

Dabi plucked his t-shirt from the floor to pull it over his head.

"Except for a headache, I'm fine," he responded flatly, standing up. "I have to go. There's something important I need to do."

He walked into the living room, retrieving his jacket from the back of the white chair on his way to the door.

Melina said nothing nor did she try to stop him. She couldn't even be bothered to walk out of the bedroom behind him to bid him farewell or fuck you.

Well, damn. Couldn't she have at least asked him to stay? Maybe even begged a little.

Angrily thrusting his feet into his shoes at the door, he opened it to leave. Without saying good-bye, he slammed the door behind him.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina literally shrugged off the cold dismissal. She had things to do as well. The first was to take a shower. The water stung the bite on her behind like fire.

"God, he's insane," she griped out loud, rubbing her behind. "But he's my kind of crazy."

Melina dressed in a yellow cotton t-shirt and a black cotton overall dress to diverge from her typical outdated fashion choices. She wanted to revisit her rural roots, remind herself where she came from. She wasn't some deranged diva pining for a bygone era of Hollywood. Poor Granny. She was a farm girl from North Carolina. Styling her hair in two braids furthered her country girl style. Foregoing make up, choosing instead to wear only lip gloss that she made herself.

Taking her basket used for gathering flowers, she filled it with jars of skin cream as well as pots and tubes of lip care products. After carefully wrapping jars of honey in pieces of tissue paper, she placed them in the basket. There were also plastic bags of dried rose petals and lavender that needed to be packed for delivery. She couldn't wait to get the florist shop to drop these off and check out any new flower arrivals.

Going to her room to retrieve her black tennis shoes, Melina went to her bedside table, picking up the poetry book her grandmother had given her. She flipped open the plain sky blue front cover. On the first page, under the title _Love and other Important Things_ , her grandmother had written her a note.

 _To my darling granddaughter...I love you dearly. Never forget to smell the roses. Never leave the house without your favorite lipstick. Walk and talk like a lady - always. Fall in love every chance you get. Don't be afraid to love hard and love deeply. Love the bees, my darling, because they have always loved you._

In just a few handwritten lines, the wisdom and weirdness of her beloved grandmother would forever be preserved in the book. It was the last present she had received from her. It was the one item that survived the fire.

Melina smiled despite the sorrow swelling in her chest. Putting the book down, she went to the kitchen to retrieve her basket and leave.

Her grandmother had recognized early on that she had a special way with the bees. She was Granny's favorite beekeeping assistant. That woman taught her everything she knows from harvesting honey to concocting her cosmetic mixtures.

When she would go to the hives, neither she nor her grandmother wore a stitch of beekeeper's clothing. No jumpsuit, no gloves, no netting - most often, not even shoes. While her grandmother worked, she would calmly stand with her arms out, allowing the bees to land on her. She liked the way it felt when their tiny little furry feet tickled her skin and their buzzing created an electric hum that vibrated her body from the inside out.

Her grandmother had taught her to be still, tranquil, quiet, and she would be safe from getting stung. As long as she didn't fear the bees or try to hurt them, they would not hurt her. And they never did until that one day. But on that day, the bees saved her life and gave her an incredible gift - and a curse.

Melina shuddered violently cutting off the memory before it could progress. She needed to stop by the library to pick up a book. Today would be a good day to sit and read in the park. She should also begin considering what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Tomorrow would be a good day for that.

~\\..'../~

* * *

"I'm done," Dabi announced once inside Shigaraki's office.

"What did you find out?"

"Nothing," he replied curtly, shrugging his shoulders noncommittally. "Like I told you before, there's nothing to find out. This woman gives no fucks whatsoever about the heroes or us. She does not care what happens to any of us. She's just an ordinary woman with a quirk...an extraordinary quirk...trying to live her life. That's all."

"How can you be so sure?" Shigaraki asked.

"I haven't found anything to prove otherwise. I've watched her and followed her everywhere for a few weeks. I've been into everything. Her apartment. Her mail. " Almost her. That would be no one's fault but his own sex didn't happen.

"There's nothing of interest at all?"

"No. She's boring as hell. I'm dying here," Dabi complained, pacing the small area in front of the desk. "I don't see the point of spying on her any longer. There's nothing to learn by seducing her."

He hated the way the man sat silently, his fingers steepled under his chin as he watched him walk back and forth like a caged animal. He needed to get out of this place. What was Melina doing at this moment?

"Do you have feelings for her?" Shigaraki questioned him, catching him off guard.

Dabi glared at him, covering his surprise with angry indignation.

"What?" he sneered derisively.

"I specifically picked you for this job because you have no feelings."

"Yeah, well, you picked the right guy. She is not conspiring against you. There's nothing special about her. There's nothing about her you would be interested in."

"Except that quirk."

"She doesn't want to use it. She can't help it. It's just there...a part of her. Whatever you're looking for is not there!" Dabi exclaimed, his voice rising before he could control it.

Dabi could tell the man was smiling by the way the corners of his barely visible eyes crinkled. He was positive it was from a psychotic but self-assured smirk. Shigaraki was probably convinced he had discovered something important. Crazy fuck.

"I don't have feelings for anyone. Especially not her," Dabi assured him. "I need something else to do. Want me to go after another one of those UA kids? What about the one with the green hair? The one they're calling All Might's predecessor?"

"Oh, my god," the man gasped dramatically, his eyes widening. Even the hand covering his face could not hide the expression of astonishment. "You _do_ have feelings for this woman."

"Now how in the hell did you draw that conclusion?" Dabi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're hallucinating. You're seeing something that doesn't exist."

"Fine. Since you can't do the job, I'll send someone who can," Shigaraki announced. The statement sounded distinctly like a threat.

"Who?" he demanded, a chill racing up his spine and slamming into the back of his head. His headache grew exponentially worse.

"There's no need for you to worry about that. You can go," the other man ordered rather than suggested.

"But - " he tried to protest.

"Get out of my sight!" Shigaraki yelled at him.

 _Shit!,_ Dabi cursed silently, having no choice but to walk away. _What is that bastard up to?_

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina conversed with the owner of the floral shop setting the new stock of products on the counter. She had developed a business relationship with the woman due to her frequent visits to buy flowers for her rooftop garden. The proprietor grew curious one day as to why she needed so many flowers, and when she explained, the rest, as they say, is history.

When another customer required the owner's attention, she took the opportunity to examine the nearby flowering plants. Not too far away stood a young man gazing into the cooler of cut flowers where one could pick out individual flowers themselves for a do-it-yourself bouquet.

To say his appearance was unique would be a gross understatement. His short hair parted down the middle in color but not in style; a beautiful deep auburn red on one side and a gorgeous snow white on the other. She seemed to remember having seen that shade of red somewhere recently but could not recall exactly where, or rather who, she had seen that hair color on.

The boy of about fifteen or sixteen glanced at her. She smiled at him, but he did not smile back. Although the eye contact was brief and his bangs nearly hid his eyes, she had been able to see that he was a rare recipient of heterochromia. A dark gray eye had peeked between the strands of white, and a luminescent blue-green eye peered through the red locks of hair. The reddish discoloration around his turquoise eye indicated a hot water burn.

Melina knew all too well what a burn scar from fire looked like. Dabi's scars were also from fire; not water or oil or anything else, but pure, unadulterated fire. She sighed despondently at the thought of him. She had no idea what to expect next from the man. She probably shouldn't expect anything at all. He most likely would not come around again.

After all, he had been ordered to keep her under surveillance for information gathering purposes. Although she did not always see him, she could sometimes feel him lurking in corners and behind trees, buildings, and other people, watching. He only kept coming around because it was his job. Since he needed information on her, she assumed that meant he would do anything to get it, up to and including, having sex with her. Surely he had to be bored with her mundane life. The most excitement she had experienced since coming to Japan was on the job at the bar.

The young man in front of her appeared confused, unable to decide between the many choices in front of him. Glimpsing around the store, she saw the owner was still busy with the other customer. She knew a thing or two about flowers so she might as well assist him.

"Need help?" she asked jovially, sounding a hell of a lot more chipper than she felt.

"Uh...yeah," he answered, appearing to be slightly offended by her intrusion upon his thought process.

"Who are you buying a gift for?"

"My mom."

"Do you know her favorite flower?" she inquired.

"Do you..." His words trailed as he critically eyed her from head to toe. "Do you work here?"

"No. But I'm friends with the owner. I don't mind helping out from time to time," she explained. "So is it a special occasion? A birthday perhaps?"

"No. Just because I want to bring her something nice," he clarified. "I don't know her favorite flower."

"How often do you go visit her?"

"You're being incredibly nosy lady," he muttered, his eyes narrowing to mere slits of suspicion as he studied her.

"There's a method to my madness, I swear. Answer the question, please," she prodded him good naturedly.

"Once a week. Sometimes once every two weeks, depending on how busy I am. Why?"

"Well," she began, opening the door to the cooler. "I was thinking if visited her on a less regular basis like monthly, a plant would be good. Something that would last longer. But since you go often." She pulled out several crimson red camellias. "You can replace the bouquet when it dies. That way she always has something to remind her of you."

Melina chose several pure white daisies and a few pieces of dark green fern to add to the little bouquet. Taking his serious, straightforward manner into account, she designed something simple but pretty, nothing fussy or elaborate. She went to the small table in the corner stocked with floral design necessities such as tissue paper, boxes, vases, cards, ribbons in a rainbow of colors, etc. Picking a clear glass vase with a tall neck and small round bottom, she arranged the flowers. Wrapping lengths of red and white ribbon around her hand, she tied and cut and pulled to make a round fluffy bow somewhat like a chrysanthemum to attach to the vase.

"Voila! Here ya go!" she proclaimed triumphantly, handing him the finished product.

"It's pretty," he said, taking it from her. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. Well, I better be going," she announced.

Melina waved to the owner who thanked her for helping the young man. She grabbed her basket off the counter that contained the library book she gotten before coming here. She had a date with herself at the park for reading and relaxation. Her idea of fun. How fucking dull can a person be?

~\\..'../~

* * *

Himiko Toga stepped through the black mist of the portal Kurogiri had formed to transport her into that woman's apartment. Scanning the happy, sunshiney kitchen around her, she grunted in disapproval. She couldn't wait to fuck this place up.

Seeing the vase of flowers on the counter, she reached out to swipe it off onto the floor like a misbehaving cat. The glass container shattered, spilling water and flowers all over the floor.

"Oopsie!" she squeaked, placing the tips of her fingers against her bottom lip. "Sorry, not sorry!"

Grabbing the bowl of fruit, she slammed it down onto the tile sending shards of white pottery through the air. Humming an upbeat little tune, elated by the destruction, Himiko opened a cabinet door. She took out a plate, dropping it onto the floor. It broke into eight asymmetrical pieces like a badly cut pie. She continued going through the cabinets until they were cleaned out and every breakable item lay heaped up on the floor in bits.

"Oooh!" Himiko squealed with glee, opening the refrigerator.

She drank chilled water from the tall, clear glass pitcher before unceremoniously dropping it. Cold water splashed her legs.

"Brrr!" she cried out, over-exaggerating a shiver.

Himiko took out the carton of eggs, flipping open the top. Eight. Enough to make a big mess. She giggled, throwing the first one at the yellow and white tiled back-splash behind the stove. Every wall of the kitchen received a painting of egg. The orange-yellow yolk was much darker than the light pastel yellow walls adding an unwanted dash of color.

She plucked a strawberry from the bowl, popping it in her mouth, spitting the leaves out onto the floor. The bowl and the rest of the berries were flung into the kitchen sink where the glass shattered against the porcelain glazed metal. After the refrigerator and freezer were successfully emptied, creating a new and disgusting layer of debris, she moved on to the living room.

Sliding the butterfly knife from the waistband of her pleated skirt, Himiko opened it with a few flicks of her wrist. Stabbing the back of the unremarkable, exceptionally plain but functional chair, she slit it open right down the middle of the back all the way through the cushioned seat. She continued slashing at it until pieces of fluffy white stuffing poked out as if the chair had vomited a cloud. The couch and the other chair suffered the same fate as their companion.

"Ooooh, pretty," Himiko cooed when she walked into the woman's bedroom.

The bedroom would have to wait. She went into the bathroom instead, entering the closet located in the far corner. Tucking the knife back into its holder attached at her waist, she casually thumbed through the clothing as if shopping in a store. So many beautiful clothes. She picked a gorgeous black nightie with a see through lace top and short black silk skirt. Holding it against her body, she looked at herself in the full length mirror.

 _I'm pretty. Prettier and younger_ , she thought as she studied her reflection. Dabi would like her in this. Had he seen that woman in this?

The smile faded from her face. Opening the drawers in the sink vanity, she found a pair of scissors. Seeing all of the glass jars of varying sizes, she snatched the drawer right out of the wooden structure, dumping them onto the grey tile floor. Some of them shattered, and the ones that didn't she broke them by stomping them. Tons of goo in shades of white and pink and flesh tone splattered all over the floor.

Going back to the closet, Himiko grabbed the clothes by armfuls, throwing them into a pile on the floor. When the racks were empty, she sat down and started cutting each item to pieces with the scissors. She took great pleasure in hacking up every single item of clothing, even the underwear, that the woman owned. The havoc in the closet was not complete until she had snipped off the straps to each pair of the dozen or so high heeled shoes.

Her search of the closet returned nothing. No safe containing valuables, no lockbox securing important papers. There was not even a shoe box full of sentimental items such as birthday cards and silly middle school love letters.

Disappointed and a little tired, Himiko walked back into the bedroom. Her golden eyes riveted themselves to the bed. Had Dabi fucked that insect there?

Jealousy, hot and sick like a disease, oozed through her insides. A scream of rage ejected from her throat as she jumped on the bed. Using her knife, she mercilessly stabbed the pillow, sending up puffs of feathers every time she drew the knife back. She slashed and tore at the covers until they were in tatters on top of the eviscerated foam mattress missing huge hunks of its flesh.

Himiko sat in the middle of the decimated bed, panting for air. She was exhausted. Glancing around, she noticed the dressing table with the triple folding mirror.

Low on energy, she settled for tipping the whole thing over. Orgasmic satisfaction unfurled throughout her entire body when she heard the unmistakable shatter of the mirrors. That's twenty one years bad luck for that bitch.

"Am I missing anything?" she asked herself out loud, taking another look around.

The book on the bedside table caught her eye. How had she missed that? It looked important. Picking it up, she flipped through the pages. Another let down. It was just a stupid book. She read the inscription in the front in case it was a coded message.

"Ugh," she groaned, slamming the cover shut. "Disgusting, sentimental bullshit."

Another dead end. She closed the book and read the cover.

" _Love and other important things_. What the fuck ever."

Then a thought occurred to her when she reread the words written inside. Well, the book may not have yielded anything useful, however, it was obviously important to the woman. Grasping the first page, she tore it free from the spine. The ripping sound evoked an exhilarating thrill that ran down her spine making her shiver with pleasure. She tore out the signed page, taking the time to shred it into confetti.

Oh, yeah. Destroying everything the bitch owned, everything she held near and dear, was incredibly fun.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Dabi sat in the back booth sipping straight whiskey. He was worried. Every time there was movement at the door he nearly jumped out of his skin. Melina was not here. It was almost midnight. She was late. VERY late. She was never late. Kurogiri had not heard from her. That was two hours ago.

Himiko walked in and headed straight for her usual seat. She appeared awfully happy with herself which made his stomach ache. Plopping down in the seat across from him, she gazed at him with a goofy grin and a blush on her cheeks. She acted as if she had gotten fucked good and hard and was still riding the high of a reality altering orgasm.

"Where have you been?" he asked her despite not really caring.

"Oh, I had the time of my life this afternoon!" she exclaimed. "It was better than sex!"

"What could be better than sex?" he muttered irritably.

As if he would know considering he kept avoiding screwing Melina no matter how badly he wanted her. But there was a reason he didn't want to have sex with her yet. Then he noticed the feather in Himiko's hair. His stomach lurched and plummeted to his toes. Plucking it out, he studied it carefully.

"A feather? What - "

"From a pillow. From your girlfriend's bed," she said, her lips curling at the corners with dark glee.

"You bitch! What did you do?!" he bellowed at her.

"It was so much fun. I destroyed it all," she replied in a sing-song voice, her eyes dancing happily. "I had myself a little party in your girlfriend's apartment. I'm sure it's one she won't forget any time soon."

Dabi stood up, resisting the urge to grab her and throttle her as she stared him with a smile and genuine but sinister happiness in her eyes. Although their eyes were almost the same color, Melina's looked completely different. They didn't possess that hint of hateful malice and brutal cruelty he saw Himiko's eyes. It made the blonde so very hideous to him at the moment.

"I broke everything. It's sure to break her heart. Possibly her spirit," she added, verbally expressing her penchant for malevolence.

"Shit." He all but ran to the exit.

"Dabi? Dabi!" she shrieked. "Where are you going? You're supposed to stay with me!"

He didn't have time for any more of her petty jealousy or her bullshit. He hurried out to the street to hail a cab because there was no time to wait for a train.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina sat in the middle of the catastrophe that used to be her nice, organized home. She liked the home she had made for herself. Once again, something beyond her control came along and ruined everything, taking it all away from her.

She sat on the floor beside her bed, transfixed, clutching the pages of the book she had found there among feathers and bits of foam. Her fingers had lost all feeling she had been grasping the pieces of paper so tightly for so long. Numbness had taken over her body and her mind hours ago rendering her mute, unable to move or cry anymore. She could not muster the strength to shed another tear.

A hammering on the door reached her through the protective fog encompassing her brain. Who the hell could that be? Were they back to finish the job with her? She hoped so. Unhinging her dead fingers from the pages, she dropped the crumpled paper onto the floor.

Melina opened the door to see Dabi standing there, his shoulders heaving as he sucked in wheezing breaths of air. Why the hell was he knocking on the front door? Why didn't he just break in like usual? Or had he already broken in once today and didn't feel like doing it again?

"What are you doing here?" she asked, then somehow she had the presence of mind to ask another question. "How did you even get in here? The front door - "

"Someone was coming in so I walked in behind them," he explained quickly, taking her face between his hands.

"God, this place sucks. I need a new apartment anyway, so..." Her words died away, and her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Are you okay?" he gushed, taking her face between his hands.

"I'm alive. I think," she added, backing away from him until his hands fell away from her face.

Although she did not invite him in, he pushed her back a little with a hand on her shoulder to make room for himself. He stepped inside and closed the door.

"Oh, my god," he gasped seeing the frightful disarray that was once her nice, neat apartment. "Go pack some things. I'm taking you with me."

Melina did not move. When he grabbed her hand, she jerked it away from him.

"Why are you just standing there? Go get your clothes and - "

"There's nothing to get!" she yelled, her dead eyes suddenly blazing with fury. "They're all destroyed. Cut to pieces. I have nothing."

"You can buy new clothes. Let's go," he said, reaching for her hand.

"NO!" she screamed, pulling her hand away before he could take hold of it.

"You can't stay here."

"Don't worry about me. I've been through worse. Leave," she ordered him, her voice almost a growl.

"Just come with me. Everything will be okay," he assured her, extending his hand to her.

"Nothing is going to be okay!" she cried out. Her voice shook and her chin quivered, but her eyes remained dry. "It's never going to be okay again!"

Anger, powerful and invasive, seized her. Her hand shot out, slapping him across the cheek. Strengthened by her anger, she struck him hard enough that one of the staples ripped through his skin. A thin red line oozed down the normal colored skin of his cheek.

"Leave me alone," she snarled through her clenched teeth. "You caused this. This is your fault. Get out, and stay away from me."

"Good bye, Melina," he said, reaching behind him to open the door. He backed out, shutting the door.

Melina closed her eyes. The tears she had held back tumbled down her cheeks. She waited a few minutes to break, giving him enough time to be gone not only from her floor but the apartment building entirely.

Her knees wobbled, and she leaned forward, pressing her feverish forehead against the cool door. Flattening her hand against the smooth surface, she carefully guided herself down to one of the few clean spots on the entire apartment floor. Once there, she allowed the new wave of fresh anguish to overtake her. Wailing like the wounded woman she was, her sorrow spewed out in great gulping sobs. She felt as if she were grieving for her family, especially her Granny, all over again.

It hurt. Oh, god did it hurt.

 _Cry for a night. It's okay to be sad, to be hurt. But in the morning, wash your face, put on your lipstick and high heels, and go live your life. Never, never, let anyone kill your spirit._ One of the many little tidbits of inspiration shared by her grandmother as she lay on her death bed.

 _Okay, Granny, I'll cry it out tonight, but tomorrow I'll get back to life_ , Melina promised.

A shopping trip would be in order first. She needed new shoes. She had a container of lip gloss in her pocket. It would have to do.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Dabi stood on the other side of the door, listening to her vehement sobbing. There was a twinge in his chest like a needle pricking his heart. With each grief-stricken howl that reached him through the metal door, the stabbing pain grew a little stronger like a knife twisting in a wound. What the hell was happening to him? He might need a doctor or meds.

He had not bothered to defend himself when she accused him of being a party in annihilating her apartment despite him not being there or even knowing what happened. His argument would have fallen on deaf ears anyway. Besides, her accusation was not entirely misplaced: in a way, he did bear responsibility for what happened.

He pressed his palm to the door. His fingers itched he wanted to touch her so badly. His hand formed a fist against the door, but he resisted the urge to punch it because he did not want to alert her to his presence.

For tonight, he would go as she had requested, leaving her to grieve alone. However, he wouldn't stop watching over her quite yet.

He would bet money and not lose that Shigaraki had given Himiko permission to do anything she wanted to Melina. Like a spoiled child, Shigaraki had found a toy he wanted, Melina's mind control quirk, and he wouldn't stop until he got it.

Melina did not have friends to protect her like those hero academy kids. Dabi swore to himself he would protect her even if she never wanted to see him again. She needed him even though she didn't know it yet.

* * *

A/N: I hope that last bit didn't sound stalkerish. That was not the intention at all. Poor guy. He's grown feelings and doesn't know what in the hell is happening to him.

All right, that's all for now folks. Let me know what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

The past has a terrible way of sneaking up on a person when they least expect it. It usually happens when they're at their most vulnerable, already hurting from a new trauma. Melina dreamed a tragic nightmare, reliving the most painful night of her life.

 _The oppressive heat surrounded her like a suffocating blanket. Melina felt like she was melting. But that was summer in the South. Reaching up to wipe away the sweat, she realized there was none. Her forehead was dry. Something was wrong. This was a different kind of heat. She couldn't breathe._

 _Opening her eyes, red and yellow light danced all around her. Flames. The wall was on fire. Startled into wakefulness but hopelessly confused, she sat up and threw her feet over the side of the bed. She quickly pulled them back when the fire on the floor singed her toes._

 _White smoke floated at the ceiling like a cloud. The air grew thick, black smoke billowing from the hallway into her room. The soot filled her nose and lungs making her choke. The acrid smoke stung her eyes and made them tear but the heat of the fire dried them before they could run down her cheeks. Surrounded by fire and smoke, she became disoriented. Panicked, not knowing which way to run, she didn't move from the bed._

 _"MELINA!" her mother screamed._

 _"Mom! Mom!" she hollered back._

 _The doorway of her bedroom was a ring of fire as her mother burst through with a blanket over her head._

 _"Melina, come on! We gotta hurry, baby!" Her mother grabbed her by the arm pulling her from the bed that had begun to smoke as the mattress caught fire from the flames underneath._

 _"Wait! My book!" she shrieked, breaking free of her mother's grip to turn back to the bed._

 _Melina reached under her pillow to retrieve the poetry book her grandmother had given to her. As her fingers contacted the book, flames shot out from the side of her mattress catching her nightgown on fire. The nylon material separated and melted like plastic wrap, gluing itself to her skin. The flames licked her skin like a hungry beast tasting its prey. A smell like grilled meat assaulted her nose. She was burning._

 _"Melina!" Her mother seized her by the hair and pulled her under the damp blanket, burning her own hands as she patted out the flames._

 _The blanket gave limited protection from the raging fire and was quickly drying from the heat as they ran down the hall. They ran blindly through the fire surrounding them on either side. However, they easily navigated the hall they knew so well after many late night trips to the kitchen to sate a case of the midnight munchies. They were running for the back door; the easiest and closest escape route._

 _Wood cracked and buckled, the walls caving in behind them. Sparks swirled around their feet like deadly fireflies. Their parched lungs filling with smoke, forcing them to cough in order to eject the poisoned air. Never before had the hallway seemed so long. Melina saw the split brick of the kitchen floor under her feet. Almost there. Usually the bricks were cold, even in summer, but they were like heated lava rocks at the moment._

 _At the door, her mother threw off the dry blanket that had become more of a hindrance than a help. She flung open the door, both of them stumbling outside onto the cement back porch._

 _"LOOK OUT! STOP! STOP!" someone shouted._

 _But it was too late. Melina would never forget the next sound she heard. The roar of rushing water like a thousand ocean waves converging and crashing onto shore simultaneously. A wide wide jet of water was coming straight at them._

 _Melina began falling after her mother shoved her forward. She fell onto all fours into the grass off to the side of the small cement back porch. Glancing back at the door, she saw the tube of water hit her mother in the stomach, flinging her back into the inferno from which she had just escaped._

 _"NO! NO!" Melina screamed, attempting to jump to her feet to run back in._

 _"No, don't!" a fireman yelled, grabbing her around the waist._

 _"Let me go! Let me go!" she shrilled, fighting him._

 _Melina was pulled away and sat down in the grass, the man's arm encompassing her waist to keep her from running back into the fully engulfed house. It was then she saw the so called hero dressed in fireman gear with a water cannon for an arm standing dumbstruck._

 _His eyes were round as the full moon above, his face just as white, as he stared ahead stupidly with his mouth hanging open. His arms hung limply at his sides. Water dripped in a steady rivulet from the spigot of the water cannon arm._

 _"Son of a - ," she attempted to scream at him but a coughing fit cut her off._

 _"What the hell happened?" a short, extremely angry fireman in a black helmet shouted at the quirk user. He grabbed him by the lapels of his heavy fire proof jacket, shaking him. "What the fuck did you do?_

 _"All of a sudden she was just...THERE!" he yelled back, probably unintentionally. "I was going to clear a path to go in. Then she appeared out of nowhere! I couldn't stop it!"_

 _"YOU IDIOT!" the shorter man bellowed, jerking the other man around like a dog with a bone._

 _"Chief!" another fire fighter called, appearing from around the corner of the house. "We found the father. He was hurled through the master bedroom window by a backdraft. Probably when they opened the back door. He's dead, sir."_

 _"Oh, my god, that poor girl," muttered the man in the black helmet, obviously the Chief._

 _She was all alone. Everyone was dead. Had they really accidentally killed her father by causing a backdraft? Her mother would have survived, but she was killed by the man who was supposed to be saving them._

 _Melina whimpered and began to cry. "Mama! MAMA!"_

 _Despite being fifteen, no longer a small child, she cried out for her mother nonetheless._

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina awoke with a start. She groaned, carefully unrolling from the protective ball she had slept in. Stretching her stiff arms and legs as far as they could go, parts of her body dropped into gouged out places devoid of foam and then raised up spots where the torn foam had piled up. Rolling up in the blanket she had thrown over the wasted bed to sleep, she put off getting up to face the day.

She kept her eyes closed because they stung as if acid had been poured into them after crying so much. Her throat was dry as a sun bleached bone. Her entire body felt as limp and lifeless as a wrung out cloth. However, there was no time to wallow in her misery. The time for mourning had come and gone.

Melina whimpered as she forced her aching body to a sitting position. What to do first? Prying her crusty eyes open, she scanned the room. What a mess. Although she had no clean clothes to change into, she went to take a shower.

After her shower, still wrapped in a towel, she dug through the pile of clothes that had become cloth confetti to see if there might be something salvageable. Whoever did this had done so with passionate intent, expressing their anger and hate. Not only did they enjoy the act of destruction, they had a personal stake in the matter as if they were taking revenge for some perceived wrong done to them. Tearing her poetry book to shreds was the icing on the destruction cake to inflict the most emotional damage possible. Whoever did this wanted to hurt her and hurt her badly.

"Who? Why?" she asked herself out loud, allowing bits of lace to fall through her fingers. That shredded fabric was once a pair of underwear.

All of her sexy underwear and nightwear had been obliterated with extreme savagery. Then there was the furious annihilation of the bed. Dabi acted as if had no knowledge of what had taken place at her apartment. Maybe he didn't, but the act had been perpetrated by someone close to him who also knew her. This was no random attack. This was personal. Most likely someone who had a romantic interest in him.

"Himiko Toga," Melina hissed out loud. "You hateful little bitch."

Melina redressed in her yellow t-shirt and overall dress. First order of business: shopping. But before shopping 'til she dropped, she needed retrieve something vitally important.

Going to the rooftop, she greeted her bees. Their hypnotic humming soothed her, sending therapeutic vibrations through her body as they landed on her arms and skittered around. She pulled a frame from the beehive, carefully peeling back the warm beeswax. Most of the cells were full of honey. Harvesting would need to be done soon. Taking another frame from the box, she peeled back the corner of the soft wax, careful not to hurt the few bees who still gathered there.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, gently nudging them out of the way with her fingertip.

Digging down into the comb with her forefinger, ripping apart the cells, honey oozed down her hand and dripped off her wrist onto the AstroTurf covering the roof. Finally, she withdrew the key she had hidden there. Second order of business: go to the bank to the safe deposit box.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina sat in the fenced in, open air patio of the cafe, absentmindedly stirring her coffee. It was a beautiful day, and she wanted to sit in the sun. She had stopped here for a much needed bit of rest and refreshment. Department store bags full of clothes sat piled at her feet, surrounding her chair. She had worn one of her new outfits out of the store since she needed a fresh change of clothes.

The helpful salesgirl had kindly disposed of her other clothes. She wouldn't be needing them anymore. They no longer fit her new life. Unable to find anything close to her preferred vintage style of clothing, she had no choice but to take a different approach to her fashion choices. So she decided to go in a completely different direction not only in style but color and pattern as well. Bees love flowers and bright colors so she used that as her inspiration.

Melina wore a short, sleeveless, baby pink dress with ruffles down the front,the entire frock covered in purple and magenta petunias. A definite departure from her usual style in every way. The saleswoman assured her that not only was the dress flattering, but one of their prettiest new arrivals for the spring season. When the sales associate suggested a pair of hot pink strappy heels with a big, hot pink, chrysanthemum like flower on the toes to match, she had to have them. Heels were a must. Granny said so. That part of her fashion sense she could not let go.

She also had a cosmetic make over. Might as well change everything about her look. Her make up was light, natural. No more cat eye eyeliner or blood red lips. Thin wisps of brown eyeliner and a light brownish pink lipstick that matched the actual color of her lips was all she wore. She had even changed her hair: pulling up the front, clasping it to the top of her head with a pretty barrette decorated with molded metal flowers while leaving the back loose to flow down her back.

Melina took a sip of her iced matcha bubble tea. She had never drank one before today. The chewy 'bubbles' were kinda weird but fun. She usually ordered plain coffee with real cream. Sometimes with a drizzle of honey. She had also ordered a chocolate croissant which she scarfed down in a matter of seconds. That was a first too, and it was excellent. Expanding her food and drink choices might as well be a thing too.

Sitting back in her chair, she sighed wearily. Reinventing oneself, starting over at the beginning, was tiring work. There was still so much to do. Opening the small notebook with violets on the hard cover, she added this place and the drink to her list of new favorite things. She also added furniture shopping to her every growing to do list. Tapping the pen to her bottom lip as she stared at the page, she tried to think of any other pressing matters that needed to be tended to.

"Hello," someone said on the other side of black iron fence.

Melina glanced up from her book to see a boy with red and white hair, his bi colored eyes focused on her face. The boy from the flower shop.

"Oh, hi," she returned, closing the notebook and slipping it back into one of the shopping bags.

"Do you remember me?" he inquired.

"Of course I do. The flower shop right?" She had to admit he looked a little different today in a school uniform rather than the casual black jeans and a white button down shirt he was wearing the last time she saw him.

"My mom loved the bouquet, by the way. Thanks again," he said politely.

"You're very welcome. Flowers are kinda my thing," she laughed lightly.

"So I noticed," he rejoined, giving her a quick once over from head to toe.

 _He's a little young to be checking me out like that_ , she thought to herself. She smiled at him with forced politeness when his eyes rested on hers on their way back up.

"I almost didn't recognize you. You look so...," he hesitated as if searching for the right word,"different."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Melina asked curiously, unsure as to what exactly he meant. She wasn't sure if he was simply inquisitive or covertly perverted.

"A good thing," he assured her. "I like the new look. So what else is your thing besides flowers?"

"I'm a beekeeper. I make my own cosmetics as well."

"They're sold at the flower shop right?" he questioned her.

"Yes," she replied, mildly alarmed and extremely suspicious. Boys his age weren't usually that attentive to details. Especially about things like make up or women in flower shops. "How very observant of you."

"I saw you talking to the shop owner as you unpacked them that day. Plus the girls in my class love them so I know about that stuff whether I want to or not. And I have a sister."

 _Was he a mind reader too since he felt the need to explain how he knew about that?_ Perhaps it was her expressive face. Granny had warned her never to play poker because she had a face that could be read like a book.

"Would you like something to drink?" Melina offered.

"No, thanks. I'm on my way to see my mom again. I thought I'd say hello and thank you."

"Do you need help with another bouquet?"

"Do you have time? You look busy today," he said, nodding toward the bags at her feet.

"I can make time," she offered,"but you'll have to help me carry these."

"I can definitely help you with those," he said when she bent down to gather them.

The florist's shop was just a little further down the block. Besides, she was going to get a cab anyway so it could be taken from there just as easily.

"I'm Melina Zusa," she introduced herself as they walked along with full hands.

"Shoto Todoroki," he replied in kind, giving her his name.

"Nice to meet you, Todoroki," Melina returned, smiling at him. "Now, about that bouquet, one question...how many siblings do you have?"

"Your thought process is so bizarre," he sighed, opening the shop door for her. "But it works. I have three. Although I don't really know anything about my oldest brother."

Melina noticed the way his face immediately collapsed. She knew that look. Hurt and disappointment with a tinge of aggravation. Hurt from not being able to change a painful circumstance, disappointment that he had said too much. He was irritated with himself for the overshare. She knew it well because she had done that many times herself.

They stood in front of the cooler of cut flowers. She put down her bags to pick out a dozen red carnations and four white miniature roses. The tiny, smooth edged white rosebuds stood out in beautifully sharp contrast to the backdrop of dramatic crimson red flowers with the ruffled petals.

"As I'm sure you've guessed, the roses will represent the four of you," she explained. Without thinking, she reached out to stroke his cheek just under the scar. "Her babies."

"Uhm...yeah," he mumbled, his eyes narrowing and sliding away from hers.

She immediately retracted her hand when his face reddened, matching his scar and making it disappear into the background of red. She could feel her face growing warm with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I do forget my manners sometimes."

"Thanks for your help," he said in way that distinctly sounded like a hint for her to be on her way.

 _Now look here buddy, you asked for my help, otherwise I wouldn't have come here, _she wanted to sass back in self-defense but decided to take the out from the awkward situation instead of arguing with an embarrassed teenager.

Melina lay the half made bouquet on the nearby table. The shop keeper could finish it. She picked up her bags, hooking the ones with long handles over her shoulders so she could grab the short handled ones from him. Her fingers grazed his while making the exchange which made him flinch away from her.

"So when will I see you again?" he asked.

 _Is he being serious?_ She glared hotly at him. The red coloration of his face deepened to crimson making the scar stand out.

"You know, to help with bouquets."

"Oh, don't you worry. I'll pop up again when you least expect it, Todoroki."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina followed the bank manager, holding the key tightly between her thumb and forefinger. They walked down the austere marble hallway to a room full of massive gun metal gray cabinets housing individual lock boxes of all sizes. He led her down the main aisle between the rows and rows of metal boxes where people stored birth certificates, jewelry, stock certificates, and who knows what else that they deemed valuable.

The individual boxes in each cabinet grew in size and lessened in number as they advanced past each row. At last, they reached the last row where each box was about the size of a steamer trunk. There was only nine boxes to a cabinet on these rows. Hers was located in the bottom corner against the wall. There was a long table in the middle of the row between the safe deposit boxes should she need to place her items there for sorting and choosing. That would not be necessary. She knew exactly what she had come for.

"Miss?" the prim and proper manager said to get her attention.

Melina set all of her shopping bags down on the floor beside the drawer. They would come in handy for carrying the items she retrieved. She readied her key as he pulled his key from the small pocket on his vest meant for a pocket watch. A chain sewn to a loop on his vest was attached to the key. Inserting his key, he turned it, unlocking one of the dual key locks. He waited for her to insert her key to unlock the other pin lock on the drawer. Giving her a nod of acknowledgement, he left, to allow her to input her numerical code into the metal number pad attached to the drawer.

Customers were allowed privacy to complete the final step and open their safe deposit boxes. Although her poetry book that held the coded combination had been completely decimated, she knew the poem by heart that would enable her to unlock it. Her grandmother had recited it to her every night for years so it was ingrained in her memory like the ABC song. The numbers for the combination coordinated to the number of letters in her five favorite words from the poem. The red light on the box blinked three times then went off and the green one lit up. A pop signaled the final lock had disengaged. She lifted the door to retrieve the three things she came for.

She pulled out a soft, square parcel wrapped in brown paper and string. Lifting up a pile of silk tops in a rainbow of pastel colors, she slid the package underneath. Then she picked up a long cylinder wrapped in black leather resembling a map tube and placed it diagonally in the largest shopping bag. The top still poked out so she draped a thin lavender sweater over it to camouflage it. Lastly, she pulled out one of six square boxes that looked like a jewelry box for a necklace. She hid it in a third bag.

After securing the door, Melina typed in the code again, the green light turned off and the red one flashed back on. After sliding the bolt back into place with her key, she hit the call button, the raised white button in the middle of the table, to request the manager to come back in. After observing him engaging the final lock, she followed him back out of the vault. Not a word passed between them as he walked her to the front door.

"Thank you for your business, Miss Zusa," he said, holding the door open for her.

They bowed to each other respectfully.

"No, thank you, sir. I'm so glad I can count on you to keep my precious items safe."

The bank manager walked her to the sidewalk, even waving down a cab for her. He opened the door for her when the car stopped. He sure did know how to treat a customer.

"What's the address, ma'am?" the cab driver inquired.

 _Oh, my god! I have no idea where I'm going,_ she realized suddenly.

Melina couldn't go back to her apartment. The place was still wrecked. However, she had no plans for moving. She wasn't going to let anyone frighten her away from the place she called home. Besides, where else would she be able to keep her bees?

The cleaners were coming tomorrow. It would take at least three days to clean up that mess from hell so she needed another to place to stay temporarily until the cleaning was done.

"Can you suggest a hotel?" she asked the driver. "A really nice one. Perhaps with a spa. I need somewhere quiet...and safe...to relax."

"I know just the place."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina gaped at the ten story structure of glossy black stone and shiny reflective glass that soared into the sky. She had dreamed about places like this as a child and had seen them in movies as a teenager. Now here she was in the lap of luxury as an adult. All of this was made possible from the proceeds of the wrongful death suit against the fire department and hero association who were forced to take responsibility for their hero's massive screw up. If given the choice, she would much rather have had her mother than all of the money in the world.

Melina was checked into an executive suite. The man at the front desk called the in house spa for her so she could get right in for a treatment. A woman in a pink uniform that reminded her of hospital scrubs met her at the front desk to lead her to the place of pampering while her bags were loaded onto a gold and maroon baggage cart to be taken up to her room.

The spa had a very touristy, extremely standard appearance, but it had a fantastically relaxing and tranquil atmosphere. Frosted glass walls that offered privacy yet a sense of openness. Small tables occupied almost every corner. Burning incense, a bamboo plant, and/or a tiny fountain sat on top of each table.

All of the women wore the same pink uniform. They bowed and smiled and giggled - a lot. Melina didn't mind. It added a joyful vibe to the place. She needed all the joy she could get. Requesting the works without even knowing what that entailed, she knew wanted it all for maximum relaxation. All of it had to be good since this was a spa, a place for being catered to and absolutely spoiled.

First she was treated to a shower, complete with an assistant clad in a pink one piece swimsuit that washed her hair and scrubbed her body, even exfoliating her feet and elbows. That was pretty weird but the height of indulgence to not have to lift a finger to wash her own body. The last time that happened she was about two.

A bath followed. There she could soak her cares away in the steaming water. Alone thankfully. However, she was interrupted a few times by the ladies bringing her bottles of water or refilling her sake. She did not mind the interruptions at all.

After the bath, feeling clean and tipsy, she was led to a room with a padded table covered with a sheet. There she received a forty five minute, head to toe massage. A loud exhale ejected from her mouth when the little woman on her back pushed her hands along both sides of Melina's spine towards her head as if to push out any unwanted feelings or negativity. Her muscles felt liquefied. Her body was so relaxed she was sure her bones had softened into jelly.

The final part of the treatment had come. Sitting in a puffy white lounge chair, a seaweed mask on her face, one woman painted her fingernails while another painted her toenails, and a third plied her with more sake. Ah, yes! She could get used to this. She had never received so much coddling and spoiling in her entire life.

Melina wondered why she hadn't done this for herself sooner. The fire department and the hero association paid well. They had to after one of their members fucked up so catastrophically as to kill a woman who would have otherwise survived the fire they were meant to save her from. Bitterness was like bad taste in her mouth. She just couldn't escape the past today.

"Is everything okay?" asked the woman handing her a full cup of sake.

"I'm fine." She realized she was crying. "Is it time to remove the mask? I need to go to my room. I'm not feeling well."

"Yes, ma'am. Be careful of your nails. They're still wet. You may wear the robe to your room."

"Thank you."

Melina was also given a pair of terry cloth slippers to wear. They women offered to send her clothes to the hotel laundry for cleaning to be returned to her room tomorrow. Sure, why not?

Once in her open plan suite, Melina lay down on the king size canopy bed surrounded by sheer white curtains that had been pulled back and tied to each of the four posters at the corners. She really did feel like a queen in this bed. Rolling up into a ball, she closed her eyes.

"Don't think, don't think," she chanted. "Just relax. Enjoy the here and now. Let go of the past."

Too many memories from the past had come to mind, triggered by the trauma of the break in and subsequent trashing of her apartment. She had never felt so violated, so frightened. But since she had deduced the identity of the culprit, she no longer felt fear - only rage. Himiko Toga had no idea what fresh new hell awaited her, but that would have to wait for another day. Melina had more important things to do at the moment like putting the pieces of her life back together.

A gurgle and growl erupted from her tummy. Oh, so hungry! It had been a long busy day. She needed food. Room service! She had always wanted to order room service. After getting her belly full, she might be able to go to sleep.

Taking the menu out of the bedside table drawer, Melina studied her choices. There was traditional Japanese food but there were also culinary offerings from all over the world. This place was great!

She ordered a cheese and bread platter, fresh fruit and chocolate sauce, salmon sushi, steak, fettucine alfredo, and two bottles of wine. Why not? Sometimes life just called for eating and drinking one's emotions away.

Rummaging through her shopping bags, she found the royal purple negligee she had bought; an ankle length silk gown with a lace top. It covered less than the robe so pulled the robe back on for modesty purposes until after her food was delivered.

She stacked the books she had purchased on the glass topped coffee table in the living room area of her suite. None of them would replace her poetry book, but she needed them. They were necessary at the moment.

Sitting down on the couch, she opened the novel relishing the crack of the glue breaking in the spine: the sound of a book being opened for the first time. Romance novels weren't usually her thing, but she wanted a distraction. It would be a nice change of pace to read about someone whose relationship does work out. Or they at least get to have great sex.

Five pages in, the protagonists finally meet: a hard headed, independent female lawyer and the handsome murder suspect she would be defending. Naturally. So hokey and overdone, but that was part of the fun. She could get lost in the absurdity so far removed from her reality.

Melina had just finished the first chapter when there was a knock on the door of her suite. Yay! Food!

"Come in," she called, not wanting to get up. Without looking up from her book, she waved toward the table between the kitchenette and balcony entrance. "You can just put it over there. Thank you."

"As you wish, ma'am," he responded dutifully.

Melina suddenly couldn't see the words. She recognized that voice. Slowly lifting her eyes to peer over the top of her book, she saw Dabi standing there in a hotel employee uniform.

"Are you kidding me?!" she yelled, throwing her book at him.

Dabi caught it, slamming it shut to contain the flapping pages that made it look like bird attempting to fly away. Melina stood up and walked around to the backside of the couch to put it and the coffee table between them.

"How the hell did you find me?" she demanded, her voice raspy from the constriction of her throat.

"I have my ways." He shrugged nonchalantly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pilfered hotel uniform.

"Did you kill the poor room service guy? God, Dabi he was just doing his job."

"No. I didn't kill him. He's out cold in the service corridor. He'll have a hell of a headache when he wakes up, but he'll be fine," he assured her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"Why do you think?" he scoffed, moving toward her. "I came to see you...to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine...no thanks to you or your friend Toga," she said, backing away when he came around the corner of the couch.

"I didn't know that was going to happen. I didn't know Shigaraki gave orders to - "

"It doesn't matter." She retreated further when he advanced.

"Why do you keep running away from me?" he asked, holding out his hands as if to show her he meant her no harm.

"You terrify me," she answered bluntly.

"You're not afraid of me. You're not afraid of anything," he snorted with a smidge of contempt. "Last night, you were afraid. Hurt. Suffering. I can't see any of that in your eyes now."

"How much is a person expected to handle before they break?" Melina questioned him. "That's not a rhetorical question. I'm asking you. How much?"

"I don't know. You've been broken before." He reached out. "You're strong."

"Even steel breaks under enough pressure."

Melina did not move. She held his eyes as he touched her shoulder. The thick robe prevented her from being able to feel his fingertips. Untying the belt, wiggling out of the garment, she allowed it to fall to the carpeted floor. Her gaze never broke from his. His fingers grasped her upper arm, digging into her skin to hold her tightly in case she decided to back away again. His fingers hurt, but she wouldn't tell him.

"Being broken made you beautiful," he murmured.

"Being broken _again_ has made me angry," she returned quickly.

His eyes glided down her body. "I like that color. What happened to all of the black?"

 _Is he kidding right now?_ , she thought to herself. _If he can divert the conversation, so can I_.

"Did you know that bees are actually quite docile? They don't sting people for no reason. All they want to do is buzz around, collect pollen and nectar, make honey...you know, do their thing...live their lives." She reached up, gliding her fingers along the edges of the double breasted collar of the stereotypical hotel employee uniform. "They won't hurt you at all unless they feel threatened. If you swat at them, hurt them, or attack their home, they will defend themselves. It's never a good idea to make bees angry. Sometimes, I think they're capable of vengeance. Only the females have stingers. Did you know that?"

"What are you - "

Melina seized fistfuls of the collar, pulling him forward. She kissed his cheek, her lips brushing the corner of his mouth.

"Your friend Himiko Toga has made me very, very angry, Dabi," she warned him. "Anger can be a great motivator."

Not letting go of the collar, she dragged him toward the bed and up the three steps of the platform it was sitting on. Shoving him onto the bed, she straddled his hips.

"Have I made you angry?" he asked, sitting up and coming eye level to her breasts. His voice almost sounded hopeful.

"Yes. I have a different punishment in mind for you," she said, grasping fistfuls of the jacket in her hands.

Melina ripped open the jacket, sending the plastic buttons flying. She began pushing the jacket down his arms, and he happily assisted with helping her remove it. Repeating the same maneuver with the white button down shirt he was wearing, she took it off of him as well.

His hands pushed under the skirt of her gown, gathering it up to her hips. Since she wasn't wearing underwear, as soon as she freed his erection from his pants he was inside of her. They both cried out in pleasure and sheer relief, both finally getting what they wanted but had avoided for so long in one frustrating tease after another.

Melina enclosed his shoulders with her arms to hold him close. She yelped when his hands grasped her ass giving both cheeks a hearty squeeze. Her behind was still sore, a bruise having formed from the bite.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Why are you doing this?"

"Can you think of a better way to get rid of anger and frustration?" she asked, pistoning her body up and down.

She pushed him into her with forceful thrusts. Hate sex.

"Do you hate me?" he asked, holding the back of her head to make her look at him she impaled herself on top of him.

Well...she didn't exactly hate him but he still wasn't favorite person in the world at the moment. Angry sex might be a better term.

"I don't hate you," Melina confessed, stroking his cheek with her fingertips. "But I don't trust you."

"Then why - " His words were halted by a chaste, closed mouth kiss on his lips.

"I don't have to trust you to fuck you," she huffed, driving him deep inside of her. "Stop talking. Or I'll kiss you deeply, and you won't remember a thing."

"You're a cold, cruel woman."

"But that's two of the things you like about me."

"You're not wrong."

Since he could not kiss her, his mouth went to her neck, covering her throat and chest with kisses. He removed his hand from her sensitive butt cheek, pulling the strap of her gown and peeling down the lacy front to gain access to her breast as she bobbed on top of him.

"Oh, Dabi," she gasped when his tongue lapped over her nipple.

Her movements changed in favor of slowly rocking her hips back and forth so he could lightly suck on her nipple. She ground her pubis against his to provide extra stimulation as he nibbled the stiff but sensitive protuberance in his mouth. Her fingers raked through his hair, pulling gently but firmly.

Dabi released her nipple with a pop when the suction broke. He flopped back onto the bed in a prone position. His hands rested on the curve of her hips, his long fingers extending across her back. He raised his hips, pushing upwards to meet her vigorous thrusts.

"Melina," he murmured. "You feel so good."

"Anger isn't always a bad thing...is it?"

She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his chest. Rotating her hips while moving up and down, she shoved herself forward savagely to create the most amount of friction with each bump against his pubic bone. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the pure carnal sensation, experiencing each ripple of bliss to its fullest. The delightful pressure deep inside her continued to build and build. At this rate, she would come soon.

"Melina," Dabi gasped before he sat up again, enclosing her in a tight embrace. He nestled his face between her breasts, his hot breath blowing across her cool skin in puffs as he came.

"Mmmm," she hummed, resting her cheek alongside his. "My turn."

She met the irregular thrusts of him riding out his orgasm, allowing them to push her along to her blissful end. Placing her lips next to his ear, she called his name several times as she rose to the apex of her orgasm.

They sat entwined in each others arms, panting hard to steady their ragged breathing. Once her heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm, she stood up from his lap. She walked away, going to the cart to inspect the food. She was hungrier than ever.

"You should go," she told him, icicles in her voice.

"Wow, you really are a heartless bitch," he said, zipping and buttoning his pants.

"Takes one to know one."

"Fine. I'm gone. You really are a true Queen. A real Queen Bitch and a royal pain in my ass," he snapped acidly.

"You're one to talk about pains in the ass," she shot back.

At the door, he turned back around to say something to her.

 _Go, please, go,_ she begged. If he stayed much longer, she would not allow him to him leave.

"By the way, stay away from that kid. He's a shining star student at the hero academy," Dabi informed her.

For a moment, Melina stopped breathing. A hero?! Her appetite fled upon hearing that. But he was such a nice kid. She sighed, pretending not to be the least bit miffed by that revelation. She couldn't hold being a hero against Todoroki.

"Jealous?" she taunted him.

"No. I just know how you feel about heroes."

"I'm not too fond of villains either. Although I was with them for a short amount of time, it doesn't mean I was one of them. I have told you a dozen times before, I'm for me and me alone. I don't really care too much for heroes or villains. I'm the only person I trust."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll be seeing you, Melina."

"I have no doubt," she sighed. She could feel him standing near her. He moved fast and quiet. Sneaky bastard. "I'm not getting rid of you am I?"

"Do you really want to get rid of me?" he asked, his finger drifting down her arm.

Goosebumps rose along the path of his finger bringing a pins and needles sensation to the surface of her skin. His fingers moved along the inside of her palm until he pressed his hand into hers, his fingers enclosing her hand.

"No," she admitted, grasping his hand that fitted itself around hers.

Dabi took a chance, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips. Melina knew as long as the pheromone didn't get into his mouth he would be fine.

"I have to go," he said, a hint of regret in his voice. "There's something I have to do."

"There always is. Good-bye for now, Dabi."

"Later." He turned around at the door, his hand on the handle. "By the way, the next time you're angry and motivated, I'll be happy to help you out."

Melina held in her giggle until the door clicked closed behind him. A warm feeling blossomed in her chest. Forcing herself to push down the tender, happy emotion, she refused to consider what she already knew to be true. She liked him. If given time, she might even love him. But that would be a deadly mistake. Everything good in her life, everyone she loved, gets taken away from her. For his sake and her own, she couldn't afford to follow her true feelings for him.

~\\.."../~

* * *

A few nights later...

Dabi left the bar around 3AM with Himiko right on his heels. Her incessant prattle about nothing fell on deaf ears. His thoughts were occupied with another woman.

He had given Melina some distance, not going back to the hotel to see her. She had changed. For the better or worse didn't matter. Good girls were never his cup of tea, but he wasn't sure what level of bad she gone to either. She was many degrees of gray he didn't understand.

Suddenly Dabi realized Himiko was no longer talking. It wasn't like her to just shut up.

Turning around, he saw her standing still about half a block behind him.

"Hey, Toga! What the hell are you doing? Let's go! I need to get you home," he said, agitated by her dilly dallying.

When she didn't move, he cursed impatiently and stomped back toward her. As he came closer, he could hear raspy breathing as if she could not catch her breath. Then he saw her eyes were wide open, staring as if she were a dead woman on her feet. A shudder ran through her body before she collapsed onto the sidewalk and started seizing, flipping around like a fish out of water and foaming at the mouth.

"Himiko!"

Dabi knelt down beside her lifting her head. His fingers touched something sticking out of the back of her neck. Rolling her onto her side, he saw a black tube about the diameter and shape of a drinking straw protruding from her neck. Snatching it out, he saw that it had a needle sharp pointed end. The object looked exactly like the stinger of a bee only on a gargantuan scale.

"Fuck," he muttered, carefully placing the object in his coat pocket as Shigaraki and Kurogiri came toward them to investigate.

 _Melina...what have you done?_

* * *

A/N: I have to show my appreciation! Thank you to my devoted reviewers bbymojo and maxridelover! Thank you Terrence Johnny Stanford for your encouraging words. Thanks to everyone who favorited or followed.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The transition symbol without the line in the exchange between Dabi and Melina indicates a shift in viewpoint but a continuation of the scene. The block of italics is to separate Melina's flashback, her memory, from what is going on the present. The other separations as per usual indicate a passage of a longer amount of time, many days or several hours in addition the shift in viewpoint. I hope that makes sense. Thank you for reading!

* * *

Dabi opened her hotel room door using the pass key he had stolen from the room service attendant on his first visit. He had kept it for this purpose. After leaving Toga at the emergency room, he came straight to the hotel.

All of the lights were on. There were several empty plates and a half empty bottle of wine sitting on the table. There was a second wine glass, unused, beside the bottle as if she was expecting his arrival. An open book lay on the coffee table. The bed was empty but the duvet and sheets had been turned down by the maid. The mint on the pillow lay untouched. She was not in the bathroom but the shower stall was wet, the mirror still a little fogged up, indicating she had showered recently.

"Where the fuck is she?," he asked himself.

Going back to the kitchenette, he poured himself a glass of wine. After taking a sip, it was then he noticed the flickering lights of candles, hundreds of them, on the balcony. She stood at the railing, sipping her wine, and taking in the view of the city. Her hair was still damp and hung in loosely curled tendrils down her back. Wearing a short teal colored chemise, she looked like a picture of innocence and seduction all at once.

"Up here, in the dark, you can only see the lights, the beauty, of the city. You can't see the problems, the destruction, the danger," she said, tipping her glass up at her lips.

"What did you do to her?" Dabi demanded.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine," Melina assured him.

For a moment he was taken aback. He had expected her to deny she had attacked Toga. He expected tears, begging, some kind of emotional manipulation as she pleaded the case for her innocence.

"Toga experienced an exaggerated allergic reaction to the bee venom due to the concentration of the chemicals in conjuncture with the large dose," she explained without being asked. "In the future, I recommend she carry around an epi-pen to stave off anaphylactic shock. Her next bee sting could be deadly."

"Melina, what the fuck were you thinking?" he questioned her, moving to stand beside her.

"Worried?" She held her wine glass by the stem, swirling the red wine inside.

 _Of course, you idiot. What part of I like you do you not understand?_ , he wanted to retort but kept his mouth shut. Apparently she took his reticence as a cue to continue speaking.

"I was thinking I needed to teach that little girl a lesson. I'm a grown ass woman not interested in a battle with children. That includes Shigaraki too," she added derisively, finishing off the rest of her wine.

"Do you realize what you've done?"

Dabi studied her face when she turned toward him. He held her gaze. Her eyes virtually glowed in the muted candlelight making them appear to be two pools of molten gold in her head. Just like the heated liquid metal they resembled, they exuded a menacing heat, warning him of hidden danger and the possibility of getting burned. He raised his hand, a blue flame igniting and dancing across his palm. Her eyes never left his to look at the fire he held in his hand.

"What have I done, Dabi?" Melina asked him, her voice low, calm - unconcerned. "Are you threatening me now, too?"

"You've basically declared war. You put a target on your own back." He flinched when she laughed - a loud, sinister guffaw like a witch's cackle.

"Please," she murmured. "He wants my quirk too much to kill me. If I'm dead, the quirk is gone. Is there something else that brings you here? You ready for another go already? I'm kinda not in the mood tonight."

"No, Melina, I'm not," he said, seizing her by the wrist as she tried to walk past him. "What's happened to you?"

"What do you think, asshole?" she hissed, twisting her wrist and wrenching herself free from his hold. "Did you think coming back into my life would be so easy? Yes, we might have had sex but that doesn't mean everything is all hunky-dory!"

Dabi followed her into the room where she stopped at the table to pour herself the remainder of the bottle of wine. When she sat down on the couch, he stayed standing.

"I was violated. Everything in my entire home was wrecked. An extremely precious memento that can never be replaced was obliterated," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "She stole something from me that I can never get back."

"What's that? Besides your damn poetry book, what else did she take from you?"

Melina scoffed, sneering contemptuously at him. She imbibed a large gulp of her wine. Then her eyes latched onto his so he could absorb the full gravity of her words.

"She stole my sense of safety. She reminded me that I'm vulnerable, that everything that means anything can be stolen from me in a heartbeat. I don't like that feeling. I don't like being afraid. I don't like losing what's precious to me. Did you expect me to allow her to get away with making me feel those things? Isn't it only right that I make her pay?!"

Dabi had nothing to say. There was nothing he could say. He understood exactly what she was feeling actually. He too had suffered having that sense of security being ripped away from him. The people who were supposed to love him the most had turned on him, hurting him more than he could have ever have imagined. Rejected, he was left alone to flounder, to find his own way in the world.

"I have something for you," he announced, sitting down beside her.

Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out the book he had hidden there. He had been on his way to see her before the incident with Toga to give her the surprise. He had a very special present for her. This was supposed to be a good evening with her, a romantic evening. Whether they had sex or not was inconsequential, that was not his goal coming here. But he hoped his surprise would make her happy.

Although her outward appearance had softened with the new hair style and make up along with the color of her new clothing, she had hardened into a block of ice. It was if a part of her died that night, changing her forever. Somehow he doubted that was the first time her life had drastically changed in one night. Once again, she had been forced to adjust, to adapt to dire circumstances. Maybe this would help bring a part of her back.

"Here." He held out the book with the sky blue cover on it to her.

"What's that?" she snorted caustically. "I told you nothing can re - "

"It's not a replacement. I found all the pieces. I did my best to repair it. I know it will never be the same, but..." He fumbled for the words and missed. Shoving the book at her, he grunted,"Here. Just take the damn thing."

\\..'../

Melina stared at the little book covered in powder blue leather. Could it be...could it really be her poetry book and not a clever copy? Her fingers trembled as she reached for the book. She almost dropped it, but he held on to it, taking her hand to press the book into it.

Opening the front cover, she saw the title page had been painstakingly pieced back together. The tiny squares of paper, a few of which were missing in random parts of the page, had been fitted together like a puzzle, taped over then covered in glue. Her grandmother's inscription was there. Only part of the L was missing in fall in the 'Fall in love every chance you get' making it look like an i. Fail in love? Well, she was all over that one.

She flipped through the book seeing all of the pages had been repaired to the best of his ability with tape and decoupage glue. She recognized the pages she had gripped in her hand by the wrinkles which he had attempted to iron out before gluing them to the spine. Tears formed in her eyes. The anger that had frosted her heart melted just a little with each tear that slid down her cheeks. Closing the book, she placed her hand on the top of it.

"I am sorry, Melina. If I had known, I would have stopped her," he said, laying his hand over hers that rested on top of the book.

"I know," she whispered.

"Shigaraki is still going to be coming after you, you know," he warned her, drawing her into his chest when he embraced her.

"Yeah, I know." She lay her head on his chest. "You should be careful being around me since I'm wearing a target on my back."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he assured her, stroking her damp hair.

"Dabi? Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

~\\..'../~

* * *

When threatened with a lawsuit, the owner of the apartment building made some drastic changes to the half assed security measures. The glass walls at the entrance of the -building were covered with decorative metal shutters. The glass doors were replaced with shatter proof plexi-glass. A key card and numerical combination were required to enter the front doors. There was also a security guard posted at a desk in front of the elevator. The stairwells required a slide from the key card used to enter the front.

Each apartment door had the same dual locks, the key card and numerical code for the keypad, along with an alarm system. Burglar bars could not be installed because they were a fire hazard and would prevent tenants from using the fire escape to flee in case of the front door being blocked. Burglar bars would turn the apartment into a coffin in case of fire.

Melina appreciated the man's willingness to comply with fire codes after her ordeal with fire. She knew these excessive measures would not stop everyone, but it would at least slow them down. She doubted anyone would bother breaking into her apartment again anyway. There were so many other places they could accost her. And they would be coming for her.

Her apartment had received a total renovation. Not a trace of the old was left behind. All of the tile and carpet had been replaced with dark brown hardwood waxed to a mirror finish. The tile back-splash behind the stove was now shiny hammered copper squares. Her furniture was rustic, heavy oak wood like her family had in their country home.

She liked the bed at the hotel so much she bought a similar one except the wood was painted white. The birdcage chair had been switched out for a round, fuzzy cushioned chair in an eye popping shade of magenta. The gray tile in the bath were colors reminiscent of the sea; shades of blue, green, and white.

Slowly but surely, every part of her life was returning to a degree of normalcy. However, she knew another part of her life never would be normal. Although finding some sense of comfort in her new routine, she remained vigilant, always aware of her surroundings, because an attack could come from any where at any time. They were just waiting for her to let down her guard.

Since Toga's release from the hospital, Dabi had not come around much. He explained that it would draw unnecessary attention to her and Toga might have another jealous fit. Besides, Shigaraki wasn't going to let her go that easily. But she could protect herself - be her own hero.

Although it was around midnight, Melina was on her rooftop tending to her bees. They were inactive at night which made harvesting so much each easier. She didn't sleep much anymore anyway.

Strings of lights crisscrossing the area around her hives and flowers, enabled her to see in the dark. There were lights in the greenhouse and processing shed as well. The only thing that left her a little antsy was how the excess amount of light in certain areas created plenty of shadows in the corners of the rooftop in which someone could hide.

Inside the processing shed, she scraped the beeswax and honey from the frame using a plain old paint scraper she had bought specifically for the procedure. She dumped everything into the metal colander sitting on top of the big plastic bowl. The honey would separate from the beeswax in about two days allowing her to process the two products separately.

The bees taught her a lot of things, patience being her greatest lesson. Controlling her fear was another valuable lesson. Both of those came in handy in the present circumstances. Humming to herself as she worked, Melina thought back to the events that occurred after her grandmother's funeral.

 _People she had never seen before showed up at the graveside service. Even more strangers who seemed to know her grandmother quite well, but were unknown to herself and her parents came to their house afterward to offer condolences. When the whispered utterances of 'I'm sorry,' the endless parade of comfort casseroles, and the constant onslaught of sympathy bouquets became too much, she ran._

 _Melina ran from the house, across the field, seeking shelter among the apiaries. Hiding in the middle of a large group of boxes on a grassy hill, she lay on her back in the soft, tall grass sprinkled with wildflowers. Blue sky stretched endlessly from horizon to horizon, not even a wisp of a cloud to blot out the cerulean blue of the flawless summer sky. The blinding sun had created multi faceted rainbows in the prism of her tears. She closed her eyes to block out the sun and sky which clashed with her dark, gloomy mood._

 _Her body shuddered as she sobbed. There tears just wouldn't stop. The droning hum of the bees soothed her ragged nerves. The first bee landed on her hand, then another lit on her cheek. Soon she was covered, their little bee bodies forming a living, writhing blanket over her, comforting her with their warmth and softness. Without meaning to, she began drifting off to sleep. Unfortunately, she experienced the sensation of falling that occasionally comes with falling asleep._

 _When her body jerked, the movement startled the bees. Feeling threatened, they do what bees do and stung her. The pain came in waves as subsequent groups pierced her with their stingers, releasing their venom into her body. A pulsing ache emitted from each sting, joining the discomfort from the next, adding to, multiplying the pain. The pain created concentric circles that joined and overlapped like when raindrops hit the surface of a pond, amplifying the pain into sheer agony. Her skin stretched taut from the swelling, making her wonder if it would burst to relieve the pressure. Her airway tightened, restricting the airflow, making it difficult to breathe. Growing dizzy, she finally fainted from a mixture of pain and lack of oxygen._

 _Melina had no idea how much later she awakened but the stars twinkled in the sky above her. There was no moon to detract from the sparkling stars. As she lay there wondering what had happened, she realized she was no longer in pain, either physically or emotionally. Tears no longer seared the backs of her eyes, begging to be released. There was no longer a gaping invisible void in her chest. She felt nothing. Her body felt comfortably numb. No pain. No swelling. It would take her a few years to understand the changes that had taken place inside of her, to find a way to cope and use the ability that had come to her by way of the bees._

Melina replaced the frames scraped free of wax and honey back into the wooden box hive. The bees would repair and refill them like they always do. Steady and slow, dependable. Grabbing the huge bowl that required both arms to carry, she headed down to her apartment, nudging open the propped doors with her foot.

Leaving the bowl on her kitchen counter, she ran back to pick up the wooden wedges so the doors would be secure. Her arms and chest were sticky from the honey. Definitely time for a shower.

When she emerged, wrapped in a towel, there was a familiar face staring at her from the fire escape on the other side of the window in her bedroom. She jumped but managed not to scream. Old habits die hard apparently. Even though he waited for her to come to him, he still had the talent of catching her off guard.

People had asked questions when all of the new security measure were instituted. How could they not? If she had screamed, she would have set off her neighbors who were on high alert after news of her 'break in' got around the building. Paranoia spread worse than the flu.

Melina went to the window, flipping open the locks at the top then pulling in the pins at the bottom to lift it. She backed away so he could slide in through the open window.

"You could use the front door you know? I could buzz you in, tell the security guard to let you pass," she said, closing the window after he unfolded his long arms and legs into her room.

"Sorry, I can't. My face is a little too memorable. Besides, do you think Mr. Security Guard would be comfortable allowing someone who looks like me into the building?" he asked, staring down at her pointedly.

"Dabi," she sighed, her face crumpling into sadness. He was right.

"Hey," he murmured, pulling her into his arms to hold her tight. "I'm used to it."

"I've missed you," she said, enclosing his slim waist with her arms.

"Yeah, same here. I've come to warn you," he added. "They're plotting something."

Melina felt like he had thrown ice water on her, killing all the warmth inside of her.

"Shigaraki was ranting about how much he needs your quirk. I don't know when or where or -"

"Could you be more vague?" she questioned him, employing sarcasm to the best of her ability. "This could be a trap. They could have just allowed you to _accidentally_ overhear partial information on purpose. Are you sure you weren't followed?"

"I'm sure. Listen, you should get out of town for a while. Why don't you leave the country?" he suggested.

"No. I won't. I won't run. I won't leave," she flatly refused. "Besides, that would make you look suspicious. Don't you think?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it. Protect me if you must, but I can be my own hero."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Dabi was sitting in his usual spot at the bar when the stranger entered.

Another one? The person received the typical greeting. Everyone ceased all talking and drinking, all eyes on him. The last time a stranger showed up, it didn't end well. Actually, it hasn't ended yet.

The suspicious character was dressed in a baggy smoke grey leather suit that looked like the fireproof jumpsuits worn by race car drivers. A matching hood attached to the suit covered the head. Boots reminiscent of motorcyclist's boots shielded the legs up to the knees. A blank white mask with round holes for the eyes covered his face. Lenses like those of a camera appeared to be behind the eye-holes.

The unusual visitor calmly reached into the pouch attached to his hip, pulling out a round object. After pressing a button on top, the ball clicked and separated in the middle revealing a blinking yellow light. The object emitted a high pitched whine. The mystery man threw the ball toward the bar, straight at Shigaraki, who ducked and hid under the overhang of the counter. The small grenade exploded in mid-air emitting a blinding light and deafening bang.

The man clad in grey pulled what appeared to metal batons from the holders on his sides, holding one in each hand, extending them with a flick of his wrists.

Although stunned and half blind, Twice hurled a shot glass in the general direction of the interloper's head. Using one of the batons like a bat, the man hit it away, knocking it into one of the liquor bottles behind the bar. The bottle and the shot glass shattered in a cacophony of breaking glass.

Magne ran at the man in grey, receiving a hit to knee to bring her down for the short assailant to be able to smash the other baton into her temple. When she bent over onto all fours, the man climbed onto her back, leaping off to hit Twice who was coming in for an attack next.

Twice received a hit to the stomach with the baton in their left hand. The baton wielder held the second metal baton near Twice's chest close to his heart. A blue arc of electricity leapt out. The wasn't just a baton; it was a retractable cattle prod. Twice shuddered and dropped to the floor.

Right on Twice's heels and ready to attack, Dabi seized the assailant by the throat, pushing him backwards. The man dropped the weapons, but he did not try to attack Dabi with his fists. The man was small, almost frail, but Dabi continued pushing him back despite the soles of the boots grabbing at the carpet. At last, the tread of the motorcycle boots caught on the carpet and wouldn't let go, tripping them.

The man started falling, his arms wrapping around Dabi's waist to drag them both to the floor. He probably planned to roll him over using momentum from the fall then jump and run.

"Kurogiri! Give me a portal!" Dabi yelled.

Kurogiri opened one up behind the mystery man and both men fell into the black hole. They were transported to the roof of a manufacturing plant down the block.

Dabi found himself standing on the edge of the roof. His fingers still held the man by his scrawny neck with his heavy booted feet dangling in the air over the side of the of the building. The portal user had damn near done him in as well.

The smoke stacks around them belched out thick billows of white steam that surrounded them like clouds. The man he held by the neck struggled, pulling at Dabi's constricting fingers clumsily with his gloved hands. The helpless man kicked and fought to no avail.

"Not so tough now, are you? What do you want?!" Dabi yelled.

"I want you to leave Melina alone. All of you," the man said, his voice modulated and given a computerized sound by a gizmo in the mask.

"Who are you?" he demanded, shaking the man.

The man grasped Dabi's arm, hanging on for dear life. What had began as a suicide mission had changed because it seemed like the man no longer was willing to die.

Dabi's hand tightened around the man's throat threatening to crush his larynx. Reaching out, he tried to push back the hood but his hand was slapped away.

Other than pushing away his hand, the man was not fighting Dabi. He was breathing hard, his entire body quavering from the effort.

Dabi grabbed the mask across the front, attempting to remove it. He moved it up and down, side to side, but it refused to budge. As he contended with the mask, the man kicked out, hitting him in the chest. His heart felt like it burst in his chest from the force of the heavy booted kick. Without intending to, his fingers flexed, releasing the man.

"Goddamit!" Dabi yelled in rage, looking over the side of the building.

The man fell into a pile of trash bags below. He quickly scuttled off of them and ran down the alley unharmed.

"Son of a bitch!" Dabi shouted in annoyance, smashing his fist into the brick wall to his left. He let the mystery man get away. Shigaraki would not be happy.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stirred honey into a cup of steaming hot tea. Her throat hurt this morning. She could barely talk. After all, Dabi had attempted to strangle her. He didn't know it was her. He could never know it was her. He wouldn't understand her actions anyway.

She refused to sit around on her ass waiting, wondering, living in fear and dread when the villains would attack her. So for once in her life, she went on the offensive, striking out first.

To prevent any of them, especially Dabi, from recognizing her, Melina had worn the boxy, loose fitting costume her father had made for himself years ago. He had made the suit to protect himself since he did not possess a quirk. The suit was fireproof and bulletproof. The lenses in the mask allowed for the wearer to see in all conditions: light, dark, fog, as well as sensing heat signatures. She couldn't help but wonder if her father was paranoid or just liked to be prepared. Too bad he hadn't been wearing it when he needed it most.

She was grateful for it because it had saved her tonight. The suit had been one of the many interesting items she found in the safe deposit box that was opened after her parents' deaths.

The fire protection of the suit would have come in handy should Dabi have chosen to subdue her by using his fire quirk. The thought of being incinerated alive did not set well with her. She was almost burned alive once and that was bad enough. She assumed he hadn't used his power in the bar because he didn't want to burn down their haven. On the roof he had been too intent in getting the mask off to light her up there.

Sitting down on her soft, brown leather couch, Melina curled her legs under her to sip her tea. She had bought herself a television which decided to turn on. Since she could not hide from the world, she decided she might as well stay informed as to what was going on in it.

A newscast was on. The two anchors at the desk were talking amongst themselves about the man who would become the number one hero after the fall of the symbol of peace, All Might. All Might had gone out in a blaze of glory, bringing down the number one villain, One For All - for the second time in his career. One For All was secured in a maximum security prison, and All Might had retired. His replacement: Endeavor.

Melina stared at the flame quirk user on her television screen. Their was something so familiar about him, although she had never seen him before. The flames exuding from around his eyes almost covered up his crimson red hair. Flames also comprised a fiery mustache and beard on his face.

 _That's funny_ , she thought to herself. _The placement of his flaming facial 'hair' matched the scars on Dabi's face as if he had tried to project flames in the same way. And those eyes..._

Endeavor's eyes were a lovely shade of turquoise she recognized, having looked into a pair of eyes strongly resembling those. However, instead of harboring bored tolerance of life in general, Endeavor's eyes held a sharp edge of anger, a hint of savagery, that led her to believe he would do anything that benefited himself regardless of the detriment against a fellow hero or an opposing villain much less innocent bystanders who got in his way. For him to be a hero, she did not get a good or comforting vibe from him. Nothing about him gave her the impression she would be safe or protected by this man.

Flipping through the files in her mind, Melina tried to remember the names of the heroes she had rummaged through while investigating the villains. Enji Todoroki. TODOROKI! Well, fuck. He must be Shoto's father.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This chapter is a pure, gratuitous fun of the fresh citrus variety. I just had this little thought running around in my head and decided to share it. Of course this scene is not in chronological order of the story events at present. This interaction would have taken place at an earlier time, like the night after their first encounter at the hotel, before everything started going to hell for them. So this is kind of a one off thing to add a little levity between heavy chapters. Thanks for reading! Please enjoy...

* * *

"Let's play a game," Melina suggested, sitting down on the bed in front of Dabi.

"What kind of game?" he asked, taking the glass of wine she offered to him.

"An alphabet game. We have to say the first word that comes to mind and starts with our assigned letter of the alphabet," she explained, sipping from her glass. "From A to Z. I'll start. A...ass."

"Yes, indeed," he said, slipping his hand between her butt and bed. "I do love yours."

"I know you do," she laughed, kissing him on the tip of his nose. "Your turn. B...go."

"Bitch. You're my favorite bitch." He laughed when she almost choked on her wine.

"That's romantic. A is also for asshole," she reminded him, referring to her often used, well deserved, and less than flattering nickname for him. "Back to B. B is also for boobs."

"Boobs? Are you a twelve year old boy? What the hell," he chuckled, drinking his wine.

"Breasts?" she ventured, swirling the wine in her glass.

"That's better. C is for cunt," he announced boldly.

"Why yes it is!" she exclaimed, giggling like a shy school girl while her cheeks reddened. "I hate that word so much. Pussy isn't much better. Vagina is what it is, way too clinical."

"Are we just going after any random letter? I'm getting lost here. D?"

"Dick?"

"Good one. Give me your hand," Dabi ordered her.

Melina took his wine glass from him, setting it and hers on the beside table. She extended her hand to him, palm up. Her eyes followed his movements as he turned her hand over then placed it on top of the bulge growing under the covers between his legs.

"Oh!" she gasped, allowing him to rub her hand over his hard member. She assumed his show of excitement meant he liked the game. "I've got the next letter. E for erection."

"F is for -," he prompted, waiting for her to jump on board with where he was going. Their eyes met, and she smiled. He knew she got it. Together they proclaimed,"Fuck!"

"You're so damn good at being bad," he told her. "So G is for good."

"H...heart." She placed her free hand on his chest over his heart.

"I is for illusion," he offered, letting go of her hand that was stroking him through the sheet and blanket.

"You think all of this is an illusion?" she inquired, furrows appearing over the top of her nose as her eyebrows drew together.

"Isn't it?"

"J is for jerk," she muttered, lifting her hand from his chest.

However, she did understand his point. Staying together for a long term relationship just didn't seem possible.

Dabi held her by the shoulders, leaning forward to kiss her squarely on the lips. Then he kissed her forehead, each cheek, her chin, and her lips again.

"K is definitely for kiss," he murmured.

Melina traced his lips with her forefinger.

"Lips...L."

Dabi pulled her toward him licking across her bare nipple to give her another L-word.

"Mmmmmmm," she groaned in his ear. "My god."

"Close enough," he said, only temporarily lifting his mouth from her breast.

"Mouth," she mumbled when he sucked her nipple into his mouth. His teeth grazed the sensitive flesh, teasing her with gentle nips. "Nipple. Nibble?"

Dabi reluctantly released her nipple after she sighed his name in a way that made him think he might accidentally make a mess on her sheets.

"Orgasm," he whispered in her ear.

"Please," she requested. Whether intentional or incidental, she covered the next letter.

"Queen," he murmured, gently pushing her down to her back on the bed.

"Ready." She opened her legs permitting him to position himself between them.

"Submissive."

Usually being submissive wasn't her thing but in this case she was happy to give up control to him and allow him to dominate her. His tongue lapped at her collar bone then blazed a wet, hot trail up her neck to her earlobe.

"Tongue," she sighed, taking his hardness into her hand to guide him inside of her as he lowered his body.

"Unbelievable," he exhaled as he sank into her well lubricated, welcoming womanhood.

"V is obvious isn't it?" she asked with a hint of a giggle as he moved inside of her.

"Oh, yeah." The wine made him feel a little dizzy, inducing a pleasant detachment from reality as he gave himself over to the illusion of love and the joy of her body.

"Ready to stop?" she asked him.

"Are you kidding me?" he inquired, his hips moving fast as he pushed in and out of her with abandon. He couldn't stop if he wanted to - and he definitely didn't want to.

"The game, silly. Not this," she said, grabbing his ass with both hands and pulling him into her forcefully. She opened her mouth and emitted a yelp from the sharp, hard thrust that elicited the tiniest bit of pain followed by a large amount of pleasure.

"Y is for yelp," he offered, chuckling lightly.

"Stop with the game already!" she ordered him, sinking her fingernails into his ass. "Fuck me."

"Hey, you're supposed to be the submissive right now," he reminded her.

"Oh, as if," she scoffed.

"All right, Queen Bee, you fuck me," he commanded her. Enclosing her with his arms, he rolled over to put her on top without ever having to pull out of her.

"Nicely done," she complimented him, sitting up.

She had to admit, being on top, riding him like a cowgirl rides a prize horse in a rodeo, was her favorite position. Her hips swayed in a rhythmic arc. He didn't seem to mind her being on top either as she gave him a nice little show for his trouble. Cupping her own breasts, squeezing and pinching her nipples, she heightened her arousal and pleasure as well as his.

"Oh, Melina, I like that," Dabi moaned to express his appreciation for her eagerness to please him.

Reaching up, he took over manipulating one of her breasts while his other hand found its way up to her mouth. His thumb pressed into the middle of her lower lip, encouraging her to part her lips. Sliding his thumb onto her tongue, he mimicked the movements of his cock in and out of her body. Thrusting his hips upward, he met her thrust for thrust, their pubic bones colliding to push her higher and closer to an orgasm.

This time Melina came first. She leaned forward bracing herself by placing her palms flat on his chest over his well developed pectoral muscles. His hands gripped her waist, holding her down on top of him as he arched his back and shoved into her once more to experience that sweet release he had nearly given into earlier. What a waste that would have been.

Afterwards, she lay down on top of him. Since she did not get up and run away, he held her close. Chest to chest, their hearts beating in unison, they relished their moment of perfect bliss not knowing when, or even if, they would ever get another one.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Okay, we now return to our regularly scheduled chapter. :)

* * *

Melina was in the kitchen pouring orange-honeysuckle lip balm into the tubes when the intercom chime rang signalling the security guard was calling her. A visitor? She set the pot on the burner to keep the mixture warm and melted. Pressing the button on the call box by the door, she responded to him.

"What is it, Yamada?" she asked. She had learned the names and shifts of all of the security guards.

"You have a delivery. Flowers," he informed her.

"Flowers?" she muttered to herself. Who sent her flowers? "Can you bring it up?"

She waited what seemed an inexcusably long time for what should have been a simple answer.

"Yamada?" she called into the intercom. "Just tell them to leave it there. I'll get it later."

"They insist on making the delivery in person." He sounded nervous about giving her that answer.

"Ugh," Melina groaned impatiently. She needed to get back to the lip balms. The sooner she received the delivery, the quicker she could return to her make up making. "Send them up."

In the meantime, she poured three more tubes. Not much left now. Almost done. She tipped the pot to pour another. There was a knock on the door.

"Dammit," she grumbled irritably.

Opening the door, she saw a massive bouquet comprised of at least one of every single type of flower sold in the shop. Looking down, she saw the bouquet had a pair of jean clad legs and red converse shoes underneath. Where had she seen those shoes?

"Where can I put this?" the delivery boy asked.

 _Wait...that's not Nana's usual delivery boy. But I know that voice_ , Melina thought to herself.

"Todoroki?"

"Yeah, it's me," he returned. "Can I bring this in? It's really heavy."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, standing to the side so he could come inside with the bouquet. "Right there on the counter."

Todoroki placed the huge cut crystal vase that must be at least a foot tall on the counter. The vase alone probably weighed twenty pounds. He was wearing the same outfit as when she had first met him in the florist's shop: faded blue jeans, white button down shirt, and red converse shoes. Standing back to admire the bouquet, he placed his hands on his hips. Obviously he was in no hurry to leave.

"Okay," she murmured, closing the door she had been holding open for him to make his exit. Going to the bouquet, she plucked the card from the plastic pick stuck in the middle of the garden in a vase. "What are you doing here, Todoroki? I certainly didn't expect to see you."

"I had stopped by the shop to grab a tub of your moisturizer for a girl from school when the owner asked me to deliver these to you. She said she knew I was a friend so - "

"We are?" she questioned him, opening the card.

"We are what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Friends?" Melina watched his face crumple into a pensive expression.

"Aren't we?" he queried in return, his questioning eyes catching hers briefly. His brows drew together over his nose and his ghost of a smile turned upside down into an unmistakable frown.

"I suppose we are," she replied, pulling the small square of plain white card stock out of the envelope.

Her eyes went to the card to read it. She recognized Nana's handwriting, but the words were definitely a message given to her by someone else.

 _I will lavish you with flowers while you are living because I cannot express my feelings for you after you die. Every breath you take is numbered, and I will count them all._

Melina began to tremble. Without the context of the current events in her life, the threatening tone of the words would not be noticed. The sinister statements could be construed as romantic, expressing love instead of a warning. Someone knew the masked figure at the bar was her but who? Shigaraki? Kurogiri? Maybe even Dabi? She imagined he would be pretty pissed at her had he figured out she was the intruder clad in grey.

"Are you okay?" Todoroki asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Melina jumped from the unexpected physical contact. His hand felt extraordinarily cool, almost cold as ice. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

"I'm fine," she responded, flashing him a quick smile. She turned away, throwing the card into the trash can located under the sink.

"Who are they from?" he inquired tentatively.

"Secret admirer," she responded.

Her answer wasn't too far from the truth. Secret, definitely. Admirer? Not so much. Stalker would have been a good description because stalkers often allowed their obsession to slip into murderous intent. Surely Dabi wouldn't do such a thing. He would be angry, come yell at her, but not threaten to kill her. Then again, how well did she really know him?

"Don't you have somewhere you need to go? Were you on the way to visit your mother at the hospital?"

Melina went back to the stove to pour the remaining few lip balms. The wax would burn soon if left over constant heat no matter how low the temperature. That was only half of her motivation for ignoring her surprise guest who had unwittingly delivered a death threat to her. She needed something to distract her racing mind in order to get herself under control and quell the fear so she could plot her next move. As she tipped the pot, her hand shook causing her to spill a little of the mixture on the new brown and white marble countertop.

"Are you sure you're all right? You're awfully pale, and you're shaking," he said.

 _Duh,_ she wanted to snap at him with a snarky attitude. She refrained from being mean since he had no clue what was going on.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

Suddenly, she felt his body close to hers, his chest grazing her back. Before she could protest, his hand covered hers that gripped the handle of the copper pot. She couldn't very well tell him to go away because he was assisting her with filling the rest of the plastic tubes. She needed his help to prevent wasting any more of the product.

The rhythmic beating of his heart against her back vibrated through her chest calming her. Her breathing pattern eventually matched his. both of them taking slow, deep breaths. There was a familiarity in his touch she didn't understand. So many things about him reminded her of Dabi. His touch wasn't exactly unwanted for that reason. However, her relationship with Shoto Todoroki could only be platonic; a friends or sibling type relationship.

He was only helping her, being a friend. That's all. Nothing more. He was a hero in training, and he was trained to assist those in need. She did need his assistance with steadying her hand.

"Thank you," she said when they were done, quickly sliding from between his body and the counter.

"You're welcome," he responded dutifully, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Was there something else you needed?" she inquired, washing her hands.

"I wanted to invite you to the festival at my school. We're allowed to invite family members and friends so I thought I would invite you," he said, rocking back and forth on his feet. His face turned red, blotting out the scar.

"Okay. When?" She leaned against the counter, observing him as he floundered in front of her.

Although she would be loathe to admit it, she rather enjoyed watching him squirm at the moment. His being cute and adorable warmed her heart replacing the icy fear. He acted as if he was asking her out on a date.

"Tomorrow. Will you come?" He avoided looking directly at her, preferring to avert his gaze to the tips of his shoes or just about damn near anything else in the kitchen rather than her face.

 _Tomorrow!_ , she wanted to shriek but refrained. Instead, she plastered her most elegant smile on her face while keeping her true emotions hidden. Her grandmother had taught her to smile when she needed to hide what she was really feeling.

"Of course I will," she agreed.

"Great!" he exclaimed, a smile creeping across his lips.

The way he smiled hinted that he was not very comfortable with the expression. God...he reminded her so much of Dabi. It was disconcerting.

"I can meet you here at eight and walk you to the school," he offered.

"Why don't I meet you at the school at ten?" Melina suggested.

She was not an early riser. Especially since she seemed to always have a late night guest who overstays his welcome. Not that she minds him staying. An all night sleepover would be perfectly fine with her. However, he had not come around lately. Tonight completing an overdue order would be keeping her awake.

"Oh, okay," he murmured, staring at the toes of his shoes.

"Hey," she said, poking him in the chest. Holy hell his pectoral muscle felt incredibly firm. Only his skin gave way under her fingertip. "I'll be there. Okay?"

"Okay." But he hesitated, not moving.

"You should go. If I don't get these cosmetics done, it might be later than ten. Or not at all," she added.

"See you tomorrow at ten!" he called out, heading straight for the door. "I'll meet you at the front gates of the school."

As she watched him leave, Melina wondered how she had the good luck of finding men who had a way of making themselves part of her life whether she invited them in or not. But she liked them. Both of them. The most recent visitor as a little brother, the other - a lover. She was having sneaking suspicions that there was more of a connection between the two men besides her.

Melina leaned against the wall, staring at the bouquet. The malicious but veiled threat on the card ran through her mind again. She might have to pay another visit to the bar soon. Perhaps Shigaraki required a bee sting. How the hell would she take down the portal user?

She missed Dabi. She wondered if would come visit her tonight. Almost a week had passed since the incident, and she had not seen him. Although he had warned her about his possible long term absence, she was hoping he would show up anyway. He was doing his best to protect her, staying away from her as not to draw unwanted attention to her. Then she decided to go on a suicide mission and make things worse. However, she could not bear idly standing by, living in fear.

With a despondent sigh, Melina pushed off the wall. Time to get back to work. Standing around feeling sorry for herself would get nothing accomplished. Suddenly she felt so utterly alone.

Sinking down onto the floor, she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. The urge to run after Shoto was incredibly strong. She could probably catch him in the lobby of the building. She wanted to ask him to stay a while which she knew he would. However, she also knew that would be a horrible mistake.

Another lover was not what she needed, and that was not what she wanted him to be. She needed him to be her rock, her safe place, someone to lean on. But she also needed to be there for him. Expecting anything more and giving him anything less would be unfair to him. She wanted him to be the little brother she never had, the friend she didn't know she needed, until now.

Having one lover already was one too many. At least she thinks she still has Dabi in her life. As things stood presently, she honestly did not know.

~\\..'../~

* * *

True to his word, Shoto Todoroki waited for her at the front gate of the school. He leaned against one of the giant brick columns. The tall iron gates had been thrown open wide to welcome family and friends into the school their student attended. Wearing his school uniform without the jacket, he didn't look quite so formal, but he sure appeared uptight. His finely boned cheeks still round with youthfulness were flushed from the heat of standing in the sun.

Melina smiled at him. It was really warm today. She had made the correct clothing choice by wearing her white chiffon dress covered in tiny pink embroidered rosebuds. Remarkably, she had found a dress reminiscent of what she referred to as a 50's style housewife dress. The idea of doing housework in a dress like this and high heels was not only ridiculous but downright offensive. She had worn her pink canvas platform heels to give her a little more support, allowing her to walk around for hours without having aching calves and sore feet.

"Hi!" she called out, waving to him.

Although she was almost there, Shoto ran across the street to meet her. He jogged to a halt in front of her.

"You came," he stated, his voice rising an octave as if he were astonished she actually showed up.

"You sound surprised. Did you think I wouldn't?" she asked, feeling a twinge of hurt.

"Well, things were a little bit weird last night so I wasn't sure," he admitted.

Melina couldn't argue. They had been a little bit weird. The air had been tense, uncomfortable. That was mostly her fault as she struggled to get her emotions under control. She could tell he had wanted her to ask him to stay, to allow him to do more than hold her hand to steady it. Thankfully, she had not given into the worst kind of temptation.

Taking her by the wrist, he led her across the intersection like a boy scout aiding a little old lady across the street. She giggled despite herself. He was so incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and kind.

Leading her through the gates, his hand glided seamlessly from her wrist down into her palm, his fingers flexing around her hand. Very smooth. His hand was impossibly cool as if he had been holding ice. The same chilly hand that touched her shoulder last night.

"Todoroki - " she began, intending to protest his affectionate gesture.

"What do you want to do first?" he interrupted her.

He pointed to the row of booths on the left lining the the long open entry way shaded by trees and surrounded by bushes separating the cement walk from the buildings. There was a row of booths on the right as well on the opposite side of the large corridor between the buildings.

"The games? Or maybe you want to see the crafts? Are you hungry?"

He pointed down the sidewalk to their right where there was another row of booths. Food. Delicious aromas drifted their way from those booths. Fried and roasted meats. The savory scents were definitely enticing since she had not yet eaten.

"There's also things to do inside. There are skits to watch, a maid and butler cafe, and a haunted house. You can even meet our teachers who are professional heroes. Endeavor is also making an appearance here today. For the fans," he muttered sounding none to pleased about that fact. The frown on his face reflected his than thrilled attitude.

Did he seriously think she was an Endeavor fan girl?

"Why would I want to see him?" she asked, squeezing his hand that held hers.

She didn't have the nerve to try to pull away from him after that negative reaction to his father. He didn't seem to hate the man, but he definitely didn't revere him either - as a parent or a hero. She doubted he even liked his father, but one can't choose their parents. However, if she had been able to choose hers, she would pick the same ones without a second thought.

They had been regular old humans, but they were her beloved parents. Her mother was a teacher during her life before motherhood. To other people, her father was a genius. He invented things to help the quirkless survive in a world where everyone seemed to have a special gift of some kind, most being a hero of one sort of another. When she was little, her father constantly reminded her that not all quirks were amazing like super strength or shooting lasers. Some quirks were strange or plain useless. He assured her all the time being born without a quirk didn't mean she was worthless. It just meant she had to be better in a different way. She should strive to be smarter because a strong mind was as important, if not more so, than a strong body. He was her dad who loved his little girl with all of his heart.

"There's so many things to do, I don't know where to begin," she said, using the excuse of taking off her pink to sweater to extract her hand from his. "Food first?"

"That's a great place to begin," he agreed.

Todoroki bought her Takoyaki first. As they were eating the octopus filled fried dough balls, he introduced her to two of his classmates. One was an angry looking blond boy and the other a red haired young man who smiled and blushed a lot. When he smiled, she couldn't help but notice his teeth resembled shark's teeth.

She repaid the favor by buying Yakitori for two next. At that booth she met two more classmates, Denki Kaminari and Hanta Sero. She was glad she was eating as he explained their quirks to her. One wielded electricity but could easily overpower his brain and short circuit it leaving him a drooling idiot. The other basically had the power of being a human tape dispenser. Of course there was a deeper level and more useful nuances to the quirk, but the way he described it made it funny.

While waiting in line for Taiyaki, he introduced her to five extremely cute girls who were also classmates. She tried to remember their names: Ochaco, Momo, Mina, Sue, and Kyoka. She was thankful he had used their first names while making introductions which would be easier for her to remember.

The girls studied her with suspicion in their eyes, probably wondering why Todoroki was there with an older woman they had never seen before. Then he explained who she was and how he had met her. When they discovered she made their favorite lip glosses and skin creams their attitudes changed completely. Suddenly Todoroki was pushed out of the way as the girls gathered around her asking a dozen questions at once.

Melina stood above them on her stacked heels so she was able to glance over their heads to see him standing patiently to the side, holding her uneaten fish shaped pastry in his hand. Promising them she would come for a demonstration, showing them how she makes the cosmetics and leaving the samples with them, enabled her to escape the clamoring crowd of girls.

"Where to now?" Todoroki asked her, handing her the dessert she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into.

"I don't care as long as it's somewhere quiet," she replied, her voice harsher than she intended. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You just have to remember, I'm accustomed to spending most of my time alone. They are very sweet girls, and I do intend on fulfilling my promise."

"No. I get it. I spent a lot of time alone when I was a kid. I wasn't allowed to be around my brothers and sister much. It took me a while to get accustomed to being around people...to having friends," he said.

Melina followed him into one of the buildings. There were just as many people in the hallway as there had been milling about outside. It was quite a bit cooler in here with the fans and air conditioners despite the throngs of chattering students and their guests. She slipped her sweater back on.

Todoroki opened a classroom door, peeking inside. The room was dark and deserted, but he slid the door open further, signaling for her to go inside with a wave of his hand. After closing the door behind them, he went straight to the bank of windows and lifted the shades covering three of the windows to allow in the light.

Melina hung back at the door, apprehensive. Her stomach tightened, wondering what he intended to happen by bringing her here.

"I don't have ulterior motives," he swore, raising his hands palms up. "You requested a quiet place. I'm sure you could use a rest."

Todoroki pulled one of the chairs away from a desk for her to sit in it. She crossed the room to the chair. He remained standing a few feet away from her. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he half sat on top of the low bookcase built against the wall below the windows.

"You're right," she responded, sitting down. "Thank you, Todoroki."

"This might sound really weird and a little bit crazy, but I feel this connection to you. Like you would understand so many things about me. I have since the first time I met you."

"It's not weird. I get it," she assured him, using his own words to show she really did understand. "I believe we do have a few things in common. I'm sorry you were forced to spend so much time alone as a child. However, I don't have any siblings so I had no choice but to be alone."

"I had my mom. What about your parents?" he inquired.

"They're dead. They died when I was about your age. I'm assuming you're fifteen," she guessed.

"Sorry about your parents. I turned sixteen a few months ago," he answered.

 _A few months ago_ , she repeated in her head. Funny how at this age one is quick to make the distinction between whether they're fifteen or sixteen - as if it really mattered.

"Do you mind if I ask you a very personal question...about your oldest brother?" she asked, not wanting to overstep bounds. She honestly wasn't sure where the boundaries lay in their relationship because they shifted constantly.

"What do you want to know? I don't remember much."

"Will you tell me what you do remember?"

Todoroki thought for a minute then began speaking.

"He has a fire quirk. He's a lot older than me. He was a lot like our father. He looked like him, acted like him. Loud. Short tempered. I remember them yelling at each other, always arguing. Maybe they were too much alike to get along." He paused, inhaling a deep breath. "When I was about five, there was some kind of accident. He was badly injured. I'm not sure what happened, but he had to go to the hospital and stayed for a long time. I wasn't allowed to go see him. None of us were. After that, he never came home. He just kinda...disappeared," he said, his voice trailing off. "I'm pretty sure he's not dead. But I don't know where he is."

"What's his name?" She hated to ask but just one last question.

The pained expression on his face made her want to hug him. However, she stayed put in the chair, clenching her fists on her knees.

"Toya," he replied, pushing off of the bookcase to stand up straight. "Do you want something to drink? I'll go get drinks."

Melina did not tell him no since he was already walking toward the door. Obviously he needed a moment after the uncomfortable conversation, and her throat was parched anyway. She could use something a little stronger than water, soda, or tea, but that would have to wait.

Standing up from the chair, she strolled aimlessly around the classroom. She picked up books left on a few of the desks, distractedly flipping through them before placing them back down. Her eyes skimmed over the pages attached to the bulletin board. Mainly lists of student names and announcements of upcoming exams. She recognized a few of the names from the kids she met today and found Todoroki's on the list as well. This was his classroom. No wonder he walked in here so self-assured as if he belonged.

The sliding door scraped along its track as someone opened it to enter the room. Pivoting on her toes like a ballerina, she expected to see Todoroki. Instead, she saw an extremely tall, remarkably skinny man. Even though his emaciated frame was hunched over, he was still incredibly tall. Two long locks of his thick yellow blond hair hung alongside each his gaunt cheeks down past his pointed chin. His black sclera was punctuated with two small, icy blue irises. Despite him being a mere, almost a quite literal, shadow of his former self, she would still recognize the hero All Might anywhere.

"Can I help you, young lady? Are you lost?" he questioned her, making her feel like a little girl who wandered into someplace she shouldn't be.

Although shrunken, he still cut quite the imposing figure. When she was about seventeen, still mad as hell at heroes and life in general, All Might had made an appearance near her, drawing droves of people as if he were a famous rock star. Out of morbid curiosity, Melina had gone to see him. She came armed with rotten tomatoes and other half decayed fruit. She liked making her opinions of heroes known.

Working her way up to the front row of the auditorium through the crazed fans was no easy task. When she got there, she could not help but be awed by the hulking mass of a human being on the stage. He was literally ten feet tall and most likely bulletproof. His irritating declaration of "Never fear, I am here" set off something inside of her like a bomb of rage and resentment. She lobbed the disgusting fruit at him, making a mess of his big smiling face and his pristine costume. For the first time in her life, she was arrested and taken to jail but not before she was forced to face the man and apologize. Surely he wouldn't remember her.

"Fruit girl!" he announced, his voice as deep and strong as it had been back then. He made his way across the classroom to her in what seemed like three giant steps.

"Oh, shit," she mumbled under her breath. "How - "

"You made quite an impression, young lady. How could I _not_ remember you?" He laughed, loud and resonant, like his bold voice. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I've never had anyone throw decaying food at me before or after you. You have the distinct honor of being the only one."

"I don't know if I'd call it an honor. I really am sorry, sir," she apologized, bowing deeply with her head down. At the time, she had not been sorry. Not one iota. Her apology was genuine this time.

"So you finally mean it after all these years," he said.

Wow, this guy was good. He could read people extremely well. At the time she had assumed he was too caught up in himself to notice anyone else around him. She had been wrong.

"I can't believe I was able to see you again after all this time," All Might commented.

"I can't either," she agreed wishing she had an invisibility quirk.

Melina couldn't believe her luck. It didn't seem like particularly bad luck, but it was bizarre meeting him so many years after the fact and him recognizing her. She had actually forgotten about the incident. All things had been forgiven but not forgotten on his end. Judging by his laughter, he looked back on the memory fondly of the crazy American teenager who pelted him with rotten fruit.

"Oh, All Might. Hello, sir," Todoroki greeted the man upon entering the classroom.

"Todoroki, is this young lady your friend?" he inquired.

"She is," he returned, a hint of pride in his voice. "Her name is Melina Zusa."

Melina could not help but blush and smile. Although he recalled her face, he had forgotten her name. She was shocked he remembered her at all.

"Well, Miss Zusa, it was lovely making your acquaintance. Again. I would like to speak to you sometime. Visit our school one day," he encouraged her. "I'll tell Principal Nezu to be expecting you."

"O-okay, s-sure th-thing," she stammered nervously.

"Please enjoy our school festival. Treat her well, young man. And be careful. She has a killer throwing arm," he warned Todoroki before leaving the room.

"What was that about?" the extremely bewildered boy questioned her.

Melina felt her blush deepen, her face feeling as if it were on fire. She told him about the infamous fruit incident which made him laugh. His laugh was soft, low and smooth like his voice, rumbling in his chest.

"Oh, my god...so you went to jail for assault?" he chuckled.

"It was only for one night."

"You threw rotten fruit at All Might. Really? Who does that? I never would have believed you capable of such a terrible thing." He wouldn't stop giggling.

"Can I have that drink now?" she snapped, holding out her hand for the can of green tea he held hostage while he laughed at her.

"It's amazing you know All Might. I guess we really do live in a small world." He passed over the canned drink.

"I met him once. I know him only in a manner of speaking. Life has a funny way of dropping unexpected people into my life." She raised an eyebrow at him. He totally missed the hint, or most likely ignored, that she was referring to him in that statement.

"You certainly know how to make an impression. I know I'll never forget you." He took a sip of his tea.

Melina nervously played with the tab on the top of her can after drinking half of it in one gulp.

"You do understand we can only be friends, right?" Her eyes caught his when he looked straight at her.

"I know, Melina. I'm still a kid in your eyes. I can be the best friend, hell I'll be your little brother, if that's all you want."

Apparently they had taken yet another leap in their relationship since he called her by her first name. She sighed in relief, leaning against the chalkboard behind her. He moved to stand right in front of her. His finger traced the line of her jaw from her earlobe to her chin.

"But one day, I'll be older," he said in a way that made it sound like a warning. He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger so she could not escape his intense eyes.

"I'll be older too, Shoto," she reminded him.

She pressed her back against the board in an attempt to create a little bit of distance between them. Heat, much hotter than typical body heat, radiated from his hand into her skin. Maybe it was just her, but she was pretty sure it was him. Him possessing a fire quirk was a given, but she suspected he was doubly gifted with an ice quirk as well.

Fire and ice. White and red hair. One blue eye, one gray eye. Innocent teenage boy and sexy aggressive man. There was two sides of him in everything. This part of him needed to stop before mistakes were made.

"It won't matter. Then maybe you can finally see me as a man," he murmured, holding her eyes captive.

Fuck. The way he was staring at her, the firm but gentle way he held her chin, she could already see the man he would become. Oh, my was he a sight to see.

"For now, I'll back off...friends only, I swear," he promised, dropping his hand and stepping back from her. "Give me four or five years years. Then I'll come after you with everything I've got."

Melina inhaled deeply to give her lungs the air they clamored for since she had been holding her breath. She didn't know if she would be here in four or five years - or even four or five months. If she was here when he reached his early twenties, she believed she might really be in serious trouble of a romantic kind. He didn't forget a thing, and he kept his promises.

"Why don't we go play some games?" he suggested, acting as if the last five minutes never happened. "You can win me a prize at the ball toss." He winked playfully, not flirtatiously. "Put that killer throwing arm of yours to use."

Melina groaned in embarrassment. Yes, indeed. He didn't forget a thing.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I was given a suggestion by Terrence Johnny Stanford to listen to the song Anesthesia by Type O Negative. The song does indeed closely mirror the feelings in the relationship between Dabi and Melina. So I used his suggestion as inspiration for Dabi's thoughts and emotions, as well as the words he uses, to express his emotions in this chapter. It's difficult as hell writing an apathetic character who suddenly develops feelings for someone. So, fingers crossed that I didn't miss the mark. Hope you like the chapter!

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Dabi hunkered down on the fire escape to peek into her window. He saw her sitting curled up in the pink fuzzy chair, asleep, a book laying face down on her chest. She was wearing a lavender tank top and yellow pajama shorts covered with fat white sheep wearing lavender sleep caps on their heads.

He liked this new, softer side of her. However, he didn't like the new, sharper edges, the suicidal tendencies, she had developed. The only thing more frightening than someone with everything to lose was someone with nothing to lose. He was no longer sure which category she fit into.

Unfortunately, Shigaraki had succeeded his plan to break her - just not in the way he expected. Obviously he never intended to create a raging bitch who would be coming after him with the fury of hell in her heart.

Dabi patted the pocket of his jacket that held the two black cylinders, the retracted metal batons. He had found them under a table during the clean up after the short but violent brawl with their surprise guest.

His eyes studied the woman rolled into a fetal position in the chair. Could the mystery man in grey leather really be her? If he had not suffered at her hands himself, he would never believed her to be capable of such strength and brutality.

His eyes roamed over her body, visually measuring and comparing. The height and build were right. He recalled how it felt when the person enclosed his waist with their arms. The embrace had the same fierce gentleness of her hugs. When his hand was slapped away as he tried to remove the mask, it reminded him of one of their first encounters. The person never fought back, never tried to hurt him. The only hit he received was when the person kicked him in the chest to free themselves before he could remove the mask. That kick hurt like a bitch.

Dabi rubbed his chest where the bruise over his heart had finally stopped aching. For days he could see the imprint of the boot sole in purple and black on his chest. At last the bruise had faded to brown and green.

 _It can't be. It just can't be her_ , he thought to himself, hoping against hope it wasn't true. But he knew the truth of the matter. Deep down inside he knew.

The window was open as if she had been waiting for him but had fallen asleep. It was three in the morning after all. He had wanted to see her much sooner. As a matter of fact, he had wanted to come straight to her that night instead of returning to the bar to pick up the pieces However, good sense told him that would be a huge mistake. If he had come to her, he might have gotten them both killed.

Dabi slid one leg into the window, then ducked down to clear the windowsill and pulled the rest of his body into her room. He stood in front of her, staring at her. She was so pretty, so innocent looking in her sleep. Maybe he shouldn't wake her. Perhaps he should never have come here.

Turning on his heel, he moved swiftly toward the window.

"Dabi?" she called before he could slide back through. "What are you doing? You're not leaving are you?"

"Actually, I was," he said, turning back around to look at her.

Melina yawned and stretched, uncurling her body from the chair to stand up.

"Please, don't leave. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks," she murmured. "I miss you."

"Oh, that's funny because when I saw you yesterday you looked like you were having an absolute blast, and I was nothing but a bad memory," Dabi growled, clenching his fingers around the weapons.

"Yesterday?" She sounded confused, then her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened. "Oh."

"So you're siding with the heroes now?" Dabi blatantly accused her.

Melina rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulders. Tossing back her hair in truly queenly fashion as if she didn't give a damn what the riff raff thought of her, she sniffed arrogantly and dared to shove her nose in the air. Wow. She really is a piece of work. An absolute masterpiece.

"You have nothing to say for yourself?" he demanded, wanting her to argue, to prove him wrong.

Her eyes fell on him, narrow and intense, reminding him of her bygone cat eyes.

"I have plenty to say for myself. The real question is, are you willing to hear it?" she questioned him.

She straightened her shoulders, facing him head on. He liked it when she took a solid stance, expressing her dominance, her fearlessness. A smile played at the corner of his lips as she inhaled to begin speaking but he spoke before she could. There was something he wanted to say first.

"Why are you friends with a kid?!" he yelled, looming over her. "I told you to stay away from that kid. He's my..." He stopped speaking abruptly as if preventing himself from saying something he shouldn't. "He's my enemy. A hero. I've fought against him and his little friends before."

"That boy is a veritable child. He's only a friend," she insisted, folding her arms under her breasts. "I've told you a thousand times on no one's side. Have you never heard to keep your friends close and your enemies closer? I take comfort in keeping those I don't trust close at hand. Why do you think I attempted to ingratiate myself with the League of Villains?" she inquired pointedly. "By the way, you're not the only one who can scoot around in dark corners, hiding in the shadows and remaining unseen while observing."

 _Ooooh, scary stuff._ Dabi actually did find her scary as hell on a certain level. After all, she had gotten the drop on him and Toga the night she shot her with the bee sting dart. Then she had the gall to stroll right into the bar and make a mess in the haven of the man who already had it out for her. That took a shitload of nerves he would have never guessed she had.

"I also like being right out there, making a spectacle of myself. That's called hiding in plain sight. Another tactic I enjoy employing."

 _No, shit,_ he thought to himself without speaking the words. She was on a roll, and he didn't want to interrupt.

"I am on my side, and my side alone. I only have friends when it's convenient."

Dabi wanted to call bullshit but didn't. She needed friends. She needed him and for some goddamn irritating reason she needed that hero kid.

"And I'm never without enemies. It's an unfortunate side effect of not putting up with anyone's shit. You can't please all of the people all of the time, but pissing everybody off at once is a piece of cake," she said with a wry grin.

Melina certainly had a talent for pissing people off. Once again, she had made Shigaraki fit to be tied. Even Kurogiri avoided the man at all costs lately, fed up with the ranting and raving, the childish fits that often involved throwing random objects at hand.

Dabi pulled his hand out of his pocket, bringing out the batons.

"By the way, I was returning these," he announced, extending his hand to her.

She shocked him by having no reaction at all except to stare questioningly at the black cylinders in his hands.

"What are those?" she asked him in a bland tone without taking her eyes off the objects.

"You dropped these during the fight at the bar. I thought you might want them back," he pressed, extending his arm completely to push them closer to her. "Here. Take them."

"I don't even know what those are." She backed away. Her face was deathly pale, almost sickly gray.

"Melina, you're lying," he accused her. His voice wavered despite the excessive control he used to keep from shouting at her in his frustration.

For a second she appeared astonished, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening into large circles. Her hand pressed to her chest over her heart.

"I don't know what - "

"Stop lying!" he bellowed, dropping the batons onto the floor before he threw them through her freshly painted wall. "If you care anything about me at all, stop lying to me."

"Okay," she murmured in a way that conveyed she admitted defeat. She shrugged, keeping her eyes on her toenails painted the same light purple color as her shirt.

"Tell me why," he begged her, stepping close to her. He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her chin up so he could see her face as well as to look into her eyes. "Why would you do something so stupid?"

"Because," she said, her eyes narrowing with determination and stubbornness as they held his. "If I'm going down, I'm going down with a fight. I won't sit around, scared and pathetic, waiting for them to kill me. I might even get lucky and take one of them down with me."

"I could have killed you," he said, brushing her hair out of her face that obscured her eyes.

"When did you know it was me?" Melina turned away from him, leaning against the nearby column at the foot of the bed.

"Not until later. I thought back about everything, started piecing things together. Did you really think I wouldn't recognize your body? The way you move? The way you touch me?"

"I guess I thought way too highly of myself believing I could pull one over on you." She clutched the tall, thin column as if was the only thing holding her up. "Now I need you to tell me the truth. Did you send me the bouquet? The death threat?"

"No," he answered flatly. "Why would I do something like that?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't," she rejoined, her shoulders sagging with relief.

"I don't know who could have sent it. Anyone in the bar that night. Besides, I'm pretty sure you managed to put yourself on the shit list of every member of the League of Villains. God, Melina, why? Why did you do this? You only made things more difficult for us."

"I did what I had to do to protect myself," she responded, her voice pelting him with shards of ice. "I told you before...I'm the only one I truly trust with my life."

Her tone injured him more than her words. His heart ached as badly as it had the night she kicked him on that rooftop. What the fuck is going on here? This wasn't supposed to hurt. NONE of this was supposed to hurt. He wasn't supposed to feel anything. He should be able to walk away without a second thought of her.

"I don't think I should see you anymore," he shot back venomously in self-defense. He wanted to hurt her as much as she was hurting him. "I won't be coming back."

Melina turned around so he could see her face. Although her cheeks bore streaks from her tears, her eyes were presently dry. They had transformed into hot, molten gold again.

"Now who's a liar?"

She was far too fucking tough for her own good and his. He wanted to be angry, to hate her, to be able to leave her and not look back. However, his feet stayed glued to the wooden planked floor as if he had grown roots there.

"Then let me tell you this bit of truth," he hissed through his gritted teeth. "Life was easier before I had feelings for you. I wish I had never learned to care about you. I regret knowing you."

Dabi seized her by the arm, jerking her forward. Her face was impassive, but her lower lip trembled. At least he believed he saw it quivering before she pressed her lips together into a thin, straight line. How could such a beautiful woman with a gentle touch be so harsh and cruel? She was sweet enough that literal honey flowed out of her mouth yet she was capable of such hatefulness, stonewalling him and shutting him out of her heart in less time than it takes for it to beat just once.

"How can you not feel anything?" he asked her.

"You misunderstand, Dabi. I feel everything. I feel too much, therefore, I have no choice but to go numb," she explained, leaning closer to press her chest to his.

He could feel her heart beating against his chest. The way she stared at him made him think she believed if she looked away, he would vanish into thin air. He held his breath as she slipped her hands under his coat. Her hands slid over his chest, over his shoulders, and down his arms to remove his coat in one extremely smooth movement.

"Whoever said it is better love and lose than to never have loved at all is a fucking idiot," she said, lifting his t-shirt.

"I agree." He pulled the t-shirt over his head after she raised it to his shoulders.

Her eyes softened when they saw the bruise on his chest. Her eyebrows drew together in worry. The corners of her mouth drooped with sadness. Her fingers stroked the green and brown marks that no longer looked like a bootprint. Her silky smooth lips pressed a kiss to each of the remnants of the injury she had inflicted on him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"They say love hurts. I guess it's true," he murmured, running his fingers through her long, loose waves.

His fingers twined into her hair, pulling until she emitted a small yelp. Finally, she leaned back her head, exposing her throat to him. His lips pressed to her skin, relishing its softness. His tongue darted out, tasting her. God, she even tasted like honey. The stuff practically oozed from her skin.

"I would have been so much better off to have never known you," Dabi said, his fingers sneaking under the hem of her shirt.

"Ignorance really is bliss, I suppose," Melina concurred, her hands gliding up his arms.

Dabi's hands moved up her sides, gathering her shirt as they went. His hands covered her breasts. They were a perfect handful, fitting neatly into his palms. He cupped her breasts, feeling their weight in his hands. For their size, they were heavy, compact, and firm. His thumb stroked over the nipples causing them to tighten into rigid nubs. The moan she released when he rubbed them again made him harden, pulsating with a yearning discomfort.

"You are an absolute fucking nightmare," he growled, angry with himself as his self-control melted away while another part of him hardened like iron. "And I am a complete fucking idiot because I can't let you go."

"Don't let me go," she begged in a desperate whisper.

A groan passed through his lips when her small hand pressed against the bulge making his pants uncomfortably tight. Like an addict, all he could think about was getting a fix of his favorite drug. His drug stood in front of him, her breasts in his hands, her hand on his hard cock stroking it through his pants to relieve the delectable pain of arousal.

"Do you want to punish me?" she asked. "I've been bad."

"Wh-what?" he stammered, gazing down at her in confusion.

"Get undressed and sit down on the bed," she commanded him in the irresistible way that made him addicted to her.

While Dabi took off his pants and shoes, his eyes hungrily observed her pulling her shirt over her head then pushing down her little bitty shorts. After he sat down on the side of the bed, she carefully lay down across his lap, placing her behind in a prime spanking position across his thighs. Her most intimate part lay on top his causing it to twitch under her as his fingers stroked her lily white behind streaked with the purple burn scars.

"Go ahead...spank me," she prompted him, raising her behind a little. "I deserve it."

Dabi took a tentative smack. When she did not make a noise, he slapped her behind once more, a little bit harder. It felt good. Adrenaline rushed through his system making his skin tingle.

He slapped her again, making his hand sting. She grunted. Every muscle in his body tensed with excitement then released. Not only was he releasing his emotional frustration each time he smacked her ass, with each slap her body bounced a little, rubbing against his throbbing erection. Leaning back, raising his hips into her, he whacked her soundly. His hand meeting her butt made a cracking sound, and she whimpered, writhing on his lap.

"Oh, god," he groaned, placing his hand on her ass to hold her down on top of him.

He gave her several more stinging thwacks until she cried out his name. This was fun and all, very cathartic, but he required something more. And so did she. He figured out a new way to punish her.

Picking her up by the waist, he moved her around to place her on her back in the middle of the bed. Grabbing the curtains from the columns on either side of the bed, he wrapped the sheer material around her wrists to bind her loosely.

"Dabi." Melina said his name in a pleading way that turned him on even more.

He bent her knees placing the soles of her feet flat on the mattress, positioning himself between her widely spread thighs. The tip of his penis bobbed at her glistening entrance, ready to plunge deep inside of her.

"Do you still regret knowing me?" she asked, her eyes half closed with desire, glassy with wanting.

"No," he confessed, cupping her jaw in his palm. "I just want to not feel the pain." He leaned over her, placing her hand over his heart. "It hurts here."

"I know. I can help you numb the pain," she promised. "I'll be your anesthesia."

Dabi resisted the impulse to thrust into her, to sink himself all the way down to his pelvic bone. Instead, he pushed in the head, watching her wiggle her hips in an attempt to get more of him inside of her. Pulling himself back out completely, he almost laughed at her disappointed groan, her pouting expression. Pushing his hips forward, he entered her a little deeper. She bit her lower lip to hold back a moan. Arching her back, she tried to impale herself further onto him, but he pulled back.

"Uh, uh, uh," he chastised her, pinching her nipple and receiving a whimper in return. "Not yet.

Despite being able to easily untangle herself from the thin curtains twisted around her wrists, Melina chose to remain his captive object of desire. He believed she enjoyed being teased as much he delighted in teasing her. He repeated the in and out process many times, going a little deeper each time. Almost driving them both mad with anticipation, he finally sank all the way into her, gradually reaching the hilt of his shaft. Giving her what she wanted gratified them both. She whispered his name into his ear, squirming under him as he lay still allowing her to feel every inch of him inside of her.

Then, the long, slow tease was over. Dabi fucked her hard and fast, reaching the point of no return quickly. Striving for the little death, he failed to experience a true la petite mort, or a temporary loss of consciousness, that sometimes accompanies a powerful orgasm. However, he did feel a rush of endorphins that offered a temporary respite from the pain both physical and emotional. All of his anger, frustration, and fear was swept away with that satisfying flow leaving him and going into her.

Melina unwound her arms from the curtains, pushing the fabric aside. She extended her arms to him, beckoning him to seek comfort in her embrace. Not too long ago, he would have laughed at the prospect. Affection had never been something he enjoyed. But she had changed his mind about so many intimate concepts. Especially this most disturbing and elusive concept of love.

Dabi cautiously positioned his body on top of hers, permitting himself to revel in her embrace. Exhausted from his efforts, his body tingled with a pleasant numbness, feeling electrified but relaxed.

 _Lovesick idiot. You're being an unbelievably big dumbass_ , he berated himself as she tenderly stroked his head, his shoulders, his back.

Although he wished things could go back to the way they were, he knew that could never happen. The unknown future was unsettling at best, possibly lethal to one or both of them at worst. He hated it. He hated all of it. The only thing he didn't hate was her which would eventually be their downfall - he was sure of it.

Sinking further into her embrace, forgetting everything in the outside world, he concentrated on her. He inhaled her scent. Honey, flowers, great sex. His fingertips slowly moved over her arm, her chest, her face. Smooth skin - soft, so soft. Her body felt warm, comforting. Her breathing was cadenced and steady; her chest rising and falling at regular intervals under his. He shouldn't be finding his center in her, making her his point of focus. But at the moment, he needed to make her the anchor of his emotions before he became completely unhinged. Soon he would have to leave her. He would do everything within his power to get back to her. But life and some people had a bad habit of getting in the way sometimes.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I thought I should add a warning about a later scene. I will admit it starts off pretty cringe worthy. The language and dialogue get pretty lewd and graphic. What you think is going to happen, doesn't happen so stick with it.

Thank you for reading! I am grateful for all of your reviews! Please send them in. I love them! Thank you for the favorites and follows too.

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When Melina awakened later that morning, she found herself curled around Dabi's upper body. Her arms were wrapped around his head as if to protect him from something. His forehead pressed into her sternum between her breasts. His nose and chin lay along her belly that conformed to the curves of his face. The piercings in his nose and the staples on his chin poked into her skin like tiny needles. Her knees where drawn into his chest, and his hands cupped both of her butt cheeks to hold her securely in his arms.

A brief snort escaped her in her effort to quell the giggle that wanted to bubble up and out of her mouth. Dabi was definitely an ass man. Hers really was his favorite thing.

Slowly she unhinged herself from being wrapped around his upper body like a human shield. Easing down in the bed so she would not awaken him, she came nose to nose with him, laying quietly beside him. This was only the second time he had stayed with her to see the morning sun. This overnight visit was of his own free will. She had not ordered him to stay.

 _If only we could have more moments like this_ , she thought to herself, leaning in to kiss his lips. _Where heroes and villains and the world itself didn't matter._

The day called. She had things to do, and she was sure he did too. However, one question plagued her mind in these tranquil minutes as the blazing sunlight filtered into the room around the curtains creating a delightful ethereal haze: could this man be Toya Todoroki?

Melina studied his face as she put the puzzle pieces together in her head. Shoto said his older brother was a lot like his dad. Did that mean he looked like him too? Dabi certainly had the same beautiful luminescent blue-green eyes as Endeavor and similar to the single blue eye of Shoto. Although the hair on his head was midnight black like hers, the hair down there told a different color story.

Her fingers lightly traced the edges of the burn scars on his face. The burn patterns matched the areas in which Endeavor projected flames from his face. Endeavor also emitted flames from the rest of his body in specific places along his chest, arms, and legs. Was that the accident that had sent Toya to the hospital? Had he attempted to eject the flames from his body in the same fashion, but unable to control the fire, horribly burned himself in the process?

Dabi and Shoto shared quite a few personality and physical characteristics right down to the ways they looked at her and touched her. They were sometimes so alike she couldn't help but think of Dabi when she was with Shoto.

Was she reaching for something that wasn't there? Was she making all of this up in her head? In her my mind the pieces fit. Everything made sense.

"Toya," Melina whispered without meaning to speak the name.

Dabi's eyes flew open, wide and full of rage. They metaphorically burned straight through hers as if he had touched her with his flame. Suddenly she found herself on her back, being held down by his entire body lying on top of hers. His forearm pressed into her neck squeezing off her trachea. Those enraged twin turquoise orbs ravaged hers, scorching her emotions and making her shiver from the abstract pain.

"Where did you hear that name?" he demanded through his clenched teeth.

"Are you Toya Todoroki?" she croaked when he lifted his arm to lessen the pressure enough for her speak.

"No," he growled, removing his arm from her neck entirely as he sat up. "I left that name behind a long time ago."

She was correct in her assumption. He all but straight up admitted to being Toya Todoroki. Yet she wasn't happy about being right.

"Who told you? Did _he_ tell you? What did _he_ say?" Dabi demanded, moving off of her to search for his clothes. He avoided saying Shoto's name.

Melina watched his fast, jerky movements as he dressed in a manner openly displaying his anger for her to see. He refused to look at her. She had the sinking feeling she might have fucked up their relationship beyond all repair this time. Her heart began sinking inside her chest like the Titanic after it hit that iceberg. He was, without a doubt, the iceberg.

Well, their relationship was probably over anyway. Nothing like destroying it herself to know when and how it would end. How's that for control issues? Her grandmother might have been crazy, but she was never suicidal. Somehow Melina had slipped off the precipice from a little off kilter to full on kamikaze.

"I told you to stay the hell away from him. But...god!" Dabi exclaimed in frustration, shoving his arms into his coat. "You never listen!"

"He didn't tell me. He doesn't know." She wouldn't say his brother's name either. "I have a brain in my head so I was able to put two and two together," she remarked quite snarkily. "He only told me what little he knew about his big brother including his name. Is that why you wanted me to stay away from him? Because he's your little brother and you thought he recognized you? Your insistence I stay away from him never had anything to do with him being a hero you've fought with before, did it?"

Melina bolted off the bed when Dabi stood in front the window. Nausea wormed its way through her gut as she watched him put one leg over the windowsill onto the metal fire escape. She immediately halted, jumping as if he had slapped her when he glanced back at her with those searing hot, rage filled eyes of his.

"My name is Dabi. I am _NOT_ Toya Todoroki. Don't you ever forget that." Bobbing under the window frame, he quickly exited her room.

"Dabi," she breathed, poking her head out of the window. "Dabi! Don't go! Please!"

"Good-bye, Melina," he called up to her from the stairs leading down to the floor below hers.

"Wait! Please!" she begged.

But he never even slowed down. Turning back into her room, she grabbed her pajamas from the floor where she had discarded them last night. She didn't have time to find more appropriate clothes.

Not giving a damn about propriety, she scurried down the series of platforms and ladders. By the time she reached the alleyway, he was at the end of the corridor turning at the corner of the building to enter the tide of people flowing down the sidewalk.

"No! Please! Don't leave like this!" Melina screamed like a desperate, repentant fool.

Melina ran down the alley not noticing the sharp little rocks, shards of glass, or pieces of metal that poked into the soles of her bare feet. The love of her life was slipping away, and it was her fault. She ran to the edge of the sidewalk, stopping short of getting caught in the flow of humanity streaming past her.

Her head turned in the direction Dabi went, her eyes searching for him in the sea of bodies and faces. He was gone. She wanted to sit down and cry in the very spot where she currently stood. However, when people started to point and stare, a few even raising their cameras to take pictures, she decided to retreat to her apartment.

"Well, way to go stupid," she berated herself as she climbed back up to her apartment. "What the hell did that accomplish? Oh, I killed my relationship. That's what it accomplished."

What had she expected him to do after all? Congratulate her on her cleverness? Be happy she had discovered his long dead secret that he would like to keep buried? She had no right to ask if he was Toya Todoroki. Actually, she hadn't meant to speak the name, but as it sometimes does, her mouth got ahead of her brain.

It didn't matter what his reasons were for not wanting to own up to true identity, to hide from his family. It was none of her business, and she should have kept it that way. Once again, she had pushed the boundaries. She had gotten too curious, treading on sacred ground where she had no business trespassing.

"Damn you, Melina," she hissed at herself as she slid through her window.

Sitting on the floor in her bedroom, she gave into her tears.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina was sitting at the outdoor cafe five days later. Today was the first day she had ventured out of her apartment since the incident with Dabi. She hadn't really felt like reentering the world of the living, but she also knew she couldn't continue moping around the apartment, pigging out on fast food she had delivered, and generally having an epic pity party for herself.

Keeping her sunglasses on not only blocked out the sun but hid her sensitive eyes that were swollen and bloodshot from all of the tears. Sipping her dark chocolate latte, she realized she had cried more in the last several weeks since meeting Dabi than she had in the last seven years. The last time she cried this much was when her parents died. She thought she'd never cry like that over anyone she loved again.

Melina fiddled with the handle of the sturdy white cup after she set it back on the saucer. Someone walked up to her table, but she did not acknowledge the person, assuming them to be her waitress arriving with her slice of decadent double chocolate cake. Sometimes life just required chocolate to smooth things over.

She recalled reading once that chocolate was a substitute for love, specifically sex, because it released the same feel good chemicals in the brain. Maybe she should visit a chocolate factory and drown herself in a fucking vat of their finest dark chocolate. Perhaps that would seal the weeping hole in her chest where her heart used to be. The luxury of being angry at someone was not hers because she had no one to blame but her damn self.

"Melina?" the person spoke. A masculine voice, deep and smooth in timbre as if the sound came straight from his chest but soft and gentle as if he was talking ever so slightly above a whisper.

Shoto!

"Dammit," she sighed, rubbing her hand over her face.

Turning her head, she saw he was standing beside her inside the closure rather than on the street. That most likely meant he intended to stay a while instead of saying hello and moving on. Double damn!

"Oh, hello, Todoroki," she greeted him formally without offering him an invite to sit.

But he sat anyway. He took the seat across from her, brazenly reaching across the table to touch her hand that rested beside the saucer and coffee cup. Pulling her hand away, she placed it in her lap out of his reach.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his eyebrows converging over his nose with worry. "You don't seem to be yourself."

 _And just who am I, Shoto Todoroki? Do you know who I really am?_ , she wanted to ask him. But he was right. She wasn't being herself.

Wearing ripped, faded jeans and an over-sized magenta t-shirt, she wasn't dressed like her normal self in a pretty dress or skirt. No make up - not even lipstick. She wasn't wearing heels but plain white tennis shoes with no socks. She was alone and hurt and didn't give a fuck about following Granny's advice.

"I haven't seen you in a week. You haven't come by the school. I even came by your apartment once, but you weren't home," he said.

Melina was at home every single day. She had given strict orders to the security guards that no one - **NO ONE** \- was allowed up to her apartment. They were to be sent away immediately and the guard could give them any excuse he wanted. If anyone insisted they be let up to her apartment, they could wait and be escorted away by the police for loitering.

"What happened? Are you all right?" Shoto pressed when she did not say anything. "Are you angry with me?"

"No, it's not you I'm angry with," she answered quickly, her tone caustic. "It's something I need to work through by myself. I'll be okay in a few more days."

"I can come back to your apartment with you and - "

"No. That's a terrible idea, Todoroki," she interrupted him curtly.

They paused their painfully tense conversation when the server arrived with her cake.

"Would you like something, sir?" the server inquired politely as her job required.

"A cup of tea. And a piece of that cake," he added.

 _Well, damn, he plans to stay quite a while and talk. I'm not in the mood to talk_ , Melina thought.

She grabbed her purse from the back of her chair. Laying a large bill on the table, she prepared to leave. That was more than adequate to cover both of their orders and give the server a hefty tip.

"I need to go," she announced, heading for the courtyard gate instead of traipsing back through the restaurant.

"Please, don't," he pleaded with her, capturing her wrist as she walked past him. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but don't shut me out."

Melina issued an exasperated sigh. She didn't feel like being near anyone, especially him, right now. She wasn't punishing him because he had done nothing wrong. But being with him hurt like hell because he reminded her of the man she had summarily kicked out of her life. Where did her path to self-destruction end?

"Just sit for a while," Shoto requested, tugging on her arm. "At least eat your dessert that you ordered."

Melina plopped back down in her chair like an irritated child. She did want to eat the cake so she started cramming forkfuls into her mouth without waiting for his to arrive.

"Stop calling me Todoroki. I thought we were past all that crap," he muttered grouchily.

"Maybe we shouldn't be," she mumbled around a mouthful of dark chocolate cake.

"So did the guy you were with break up with you?" Shoto asked, diverting his gaze to his cake that arrived at a most convenient time.

"You know what," she muttered, pointing her fork at him, "you're just too damn perceptive, and I find that annoying as fuck."

"Wow, such language," he gasped in mock offense, placing his hand on his chest like a proper Southern Belle who has just had her delicate sensibilities scandalized.

Melina laughed. She couldn't stop herself. Obviously he hadn't meant for the simple gesture to elicit such a reaction of hilarity as his face turned red while she laughed long and hard. Her loud guffaws garnered the shocked stares of the customers around them making his blush of embarrassment deepen until he was almost purple.

She didn't care if the people glowered at her in disapproval. Neither did he apparently by the slight lifting of the corners of his lips which showed her that he was pleased he had made her laugh despite the unwanted attention it brought to them.

"Thank you," Melina sniffed, pushing her fingers under her sunglasses to wipe away the tears of amusement. She was so glad to be crying for a different reason than sadness and self-reproach.

"Were you still going to do that make up demonstration for the girls?" Shoto asked, reminding her of her promise.

"Yes, of course I will. I'll come to the school tomorrow to speak to Principal Nezu," she assured him.

"Great! Hey, I'll walk you home after this. Is that okay?"

"Sure. That's fine."

They talked about his school and his studies, his teachers and his classmates, as they finished their drinks and cake. By the end of the encounter, Melina was feeling much better. She found herself able to smile again as they walked down the sidewalk, her arm hooked through his, toward her building.

"Sometime you'll have to come up and see my garden and my apiary," she suggested at the front door, unwinding her arm from his.

"Why not now?" he asked with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

 _Hmmm, he sure played the innocent card well_ , she thought to herself, recalling the not so innocent 'threat' of him pursuing her romantically in the future. He was definitely not too far off from being that irresistible, sexy seducer she had gotten a glimpse of that day of the festival.

"Sometime soon," she repeated, patting him on the chest. He was wearing a baby blue v neck pullover t-shirt of the softest material she had ever touched. The hardness of his muscles under the softness felt nice beneath her hand. Good God. Danger! Danger! "But not today."

Melina was well aware she was weak and vulnerable emotionally. He was genuinely being kind, and he would offer to comfort her any way he could. She seriously doubted he had malicious intentions of seducing her, but shit happens when emotions are high and physical resistance is low. That's how friends accidentally trip and fall into bed with each other. He wasn't ready for that kind of thing yet. She wouldn't allow him to play a game they would both regret.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Shoto," she said, giving him an easy out before things got weird.

His face relaxed. He appeared relieved, and a sweet little smile rested on his lips.

"Tomorrow, Melina." Backing away, keeping his eyes on her, he waved good-bye.

Melina turned to walk up the few steps so he would turn around and watch where he was walking before he tripped. She waved at Yamada as she entered the lobby.

"This arrived for you about an hour ago," he said, reaching under his desk for something.

Melina froze when she saw the single black rose wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with a blood red ribbon. The smile drifted from her lips until a severe frown replaced it.

"Who delivered it?" she asked. "Was it delivered by the kid from Nana's Flower Shop?"

"Not the usual one, no," he answered. "I've never seen this guy before."

"What did he look like?" Panic began to swell in her chest, compressing her heart and constricting her lungs.

"I couldn't see much. He was wearing a hat and a hoodie. Sunglasses. I think I could see part of a really ugly scar on his forehead though," he mumbled pensively.

That could only be one person: Jin Bubaigawara, better known as and much more easily pronounced as, Twice. Perhaps this was payback for the whole dog thing. Lest she forget the tray to face the first night she met him - but he deserved that one. Then there was the shock to the heart, and she would readily admit he didn't deserve that one. When she made enemies, she didn't mess around. Dabi had warned her she was on the shit list of every villain associated with that bar.

"Miss Melina? Is everything okay?" Yamada inquired, pulling the flower back under his desk. "I can throw this away."

"Is there a card?"

Melina watched as he reached under the desk to retrieve the card as if it was the sight of the flower itself had terrified her. She took the small envelope without opening it. At least she knew who was sending the flowers.

"Thank you."

"Are you all right? Should I call the police if more flowers arrive? Do you have some guy stalking you?"

"No. Everything's fine," she assured him.

In the elevator on the way up to her apartment, Melina opened the card.

 _I'm coming after you. You won't know when or where. But I'm going to get you. You will be mine. I will hold you in my arms until you can no longer breathe._

 _Wow. Subtle._ Melina ripped up the card into little pieces.

 _Bring it on, asshole, I'll be ready._

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina was on the roof lying on the outdoor couch, staring up at the sky. In the city, it was nothing but a wide expanse of black. She missed the stars. The moon was hiding its face since it was a New Moon night. Taking Dabi's advice of leaving the country might not be a bad idea at this point. She didn't have much of a reason to stay here anymore.

She could buy herself a small house in the middle of a large plot of land. Have apiaries and trees and flowers as far as her eyes could see. It would be nice to have something to remind her of her childhood home. Being far, far away people would be good too. Maybe she should get a dog. Dogs are loyal, loving, and protect their masters. She wouldn't have to worry about hurting a dog's feelings and making him run away. At least she hoped she wasn't so heinous as to alienate man's best friend.

Sighing loudly, she stood up, walking toward the edge of the rooftop. A figure in the shadows to her left moved as she approached the waist high wall.

"I didn't expect you to act on your threat so soon, Twice," she said, turning toward the figure outlined by a hazy line of grey delineating the person dressed in black from the darker blackness surrounding him.

"I'm happy to see you too, beautiful," Twice said, his voice loud, excited.

Stepping out of the darkness into the golden glow of the fairy lights above them, he was dressed in his black costume with the accents of grey including his boots. A full fabric mask, grey from the eyes up, hid his face and eyes.

Melina didn't like not being able to see his eyes. At least when she could see his eyes she had an idea of what he was thinking. Also, she could detect a personality shift. All she had now were voice cues. Judging by the overzealous tone he currently used, his other personality had shown up. She hated this pervy guy.

Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears, deafening her, while her heart hammered against her ribcage. Outwardly, she remained calm, unconcerned, leaning casually against the waist high brick wall behind her. Although she had every reason to panic, she would not allow her fear to show.

"You sent the flowers?"

"Of course I did. I've missed you. I wanted to deliver the last one in person. To see you." He paused, stepping forward two steps. "Your impromptu appearance at the bar was quite something. Nice costume by the way. The grey suits you. Makes you look like a ghost. You appeared and disappeared so quickly."

"How did you know it was me?" she inquired, sliding her hand into the pocket of her cardigan. She gripped the baton she had carried with her. Before he could speak, she went on, "Let me guess. You recognized me by the way the way I hit you."

"Well, yeah, duh," he retorted, shrugging his shoulders as if the answer was obvious. "I'll never forget the way you slugged me with that tray. Nobody could make it hurt as good as you."

Twice skipped over to her like a giddy schoolboy with his hands behind his back. Standing beside her, he leaned down close to her. His chin nearly touched her shoulder, and his mouth was even with her ear. She could feel his warm breath through the mask.

"I just wish I could remember the whole dog incident. Nobody can fucking stop talking about it. I would gladly be your good boy. Get down on my hands and knees. Follow your every order. Lick your feet and thighs and well...anything else. It makes me horny just thinking about it. "

"Aw, hell, ew," she groaned, feeling sick. She no longer wanted a dog as a pet.

Melina forced herself to stay still, not moving a muscle when his hand touched her waist. He moved to stand in front of her; close, too close for her comfort. She wouldn't allow herself to react to him being so near her and touching her. Staring down at the pink plastic buttons on her sweater, she pretended he wasn't there.

"You know," he murmured in a conspiratorial stage whisper, his voice slightly muffled by the one piece mask. "Since that night, I've dreamt about you. My favorite dream is of you wearing a strap on..."

Her belly tensed during his dramatic pause allowing her to digest that little mental image for the full gross out factor no doubt. She definitely did not like where this was going. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she attempted to cover her fear and repulsion with boredom and aggravation. His gloved hand touched her jaw, and she almost jumped out of her skin. So much for playing it cool.

"You bend me over, ever so gently," he added, forcing her head back so she had no choice but to look up at him.

Although she prepared herself for him to do something stupid next, what he did startled her out of her mind. He roughly seized her by the waist, spun her around, and began furiously humping her butt.

"Then you start fucking me hard like a mad woman!" he yelled, cackling like a lunatic.

Melina pulled the baton out of her pocket, extending it with a hiss of metal sliding against metal. She swung blindly behind her, hitting him in the back of the head with a definitive crack.

"Ow!" Twice yelled, releasing her to grab his head with both hands as he stumbled backwards from her.

Melina lunged toward her, baton held high in preparation to strike him again, this time on the forehead.

Unfortunately, he caught her wrist, stopping her before she could swing down. His fingers squeezed the bones until they moved, grinding together. His thumb pushed down into the soft spot between the tendons on the underside of her wrist. An electrified jolt of pain exploded in her wrist, numbing her hand and racing up her arm to make it go limp. The baton made a hollow thud as it hit the tar rooftop covered in fake grass.

"Tsk, tsk," he clucked his tongue at her. "I won't let you hit me again. You're fast, and you're strong, but I'm a man on a mission. There's something I want to do."

"Just kill me already then," she snarled, kicking her legs at him.

A scream tore from her throat when he picked her up and ran a few steps forward with her. She feared he was going to throw her off the roof. Instead, he sat her down rather forcefully on the top of the low brick wall. A stab of pain rushed up her spine leaving a lingering pins and needles sensation in her behind and across her lower back. The persistent pain made her contemplate how one even fixes a broken tail bone.

Twice pushed apart her legs, forcing his body between them. The rough bricks scraped across the backs of her thighs. Melina regretted her decision to wear her nightgown up here more so than ever. Plus it gave him easier access to her.

"No, no, no, NO!" she shouted, when he savagely shoved his hands under the gown.

His groping fingers bruised her thighs as he searched for a hold on her underwear to rip them off. She pummeled him with her fist but he didn't seem to notice.

"Stop fighting me!" he whined mockingly, hooking his forefinger over the elastic waistband of her flimsy lace underwear.

Another crucial wardrobe error that worked in his favor. Melina had expected a run of the mill, hand to hand combat attack not an attempted rape.

"Come on, country girl. I've wanted to plow your field since the moment I saw you."

"Stop, Jin, stop," she begged, pushing at his chest and punching him in the face. The blows bounced off him as if she were hitting a man made of metal.

"You're calling the wrong person. He's not here right now. That wimpy cunt would never have the balls to do this," he panted, sounding as if he were getting off on the struggle as much as if he were having sex with her.

The sound of ripping fabric heralded his success that he had removed her underwear with brute force.

"Jin, please!," she cried, tears pouring from her eyes.

"B-Bee? Wh-what a-am I - " he stuttered, his head whipping from side to side in confusion. Within seconds, he assessed his present situation and backed away in horror. "Oh, god!"

Her underwear hung from his forefinger as he raised his hands toward his face. He stopped, staring at the mangled piece of material in confusion. Doing a double take, his muddled brain finally processed what he was holding.

"Oh, god!" he yelled again, alarmed by the implication of how they got there.

Then he shook his head and his entire body like a dog shaking off water after a bath while making a strange gurgling sound as if he were underwater.

"Not today, asshole!" he bellowed in a higher pitched voice, arguing with himself. Noticing the underwear hanging on his hand, he brought it to his masked face and inhaled deeply. "Oh, yes! Sweet nectar!"

"Ugh," Melina grunted, hopping off the wall. "You're so damn disgusting."

Bending down, she picked up the baton and ran at him while still hunched over. Hitting him in the right kneecap, she brought him down with a sickening crunch of bone. Being short had its advantages. She could easily stay below the reach of her taller opponents arms and attack sensitive areas like ankles, knees, and groin to cut them down for an assault on their head. Holding the baton high, gripping it with both hands, she prepared to bring it down with all of her might against his forehead.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jin pleaded, holding up his hands to shield his face.

Reaching under his chin, temporarily back in what she guessed to be his 'right' mind, Jin grabbed the mask and pulled it off his head. He gritted his teeth against the pain radiating through his body from his crushed kneecap.

"Don't hit me in the head...please," he added, his eyes full of despair. "Hit me anywhere else. Break my other kneecap. Hit me in the damn dick, but please don't hit me in the head."

Melina lowered the weapon but held it tightly just in case he shifted personalities again. Pity welled within her. She wondered what he was like before whatever caused that scar. Obviously that traumatic head injury was what triggered the severing of his psyche into two completely separate entities who shared one body. No one could be more confused about that concept than him because he lived the completely fractured existence every day. She didn't want to hurt him, but she could not allow him to hurt her either.

"How did you know where I lived?" she asked.

"We all know." He shrugged as if she should already know the answer to that question. "You need to leave. I don't care how tough you think you are. Shigaraki wants your quirk at all costs. Run."

"You didn't come here to kill me...did you?" she questioned him to confirm her suspicion.

"No. I came here to kidnap you. And the other part of me came here to fuck you," he confessed, blushing hotly. "That idiotic half of me has had a crush on you since you smacked the hell out of him that first night. I'm sorry, but I can't completely control him."

"Hmmmm, I see," she muttered thoughtfully.

"The plan was to kidnap you, to rape you and torture you until you broke, completely lost your will. Shigaraki wants to control you and your quirk. He wants it at all costs."

"Is that so?"

She sidled up to him, leaning down to kiss him. After filling his mouth with the pheromone, she waited for him to swallow and fall under her spell.

"You're going to leave here now. You will never return," she told him, backing away. "You, both of you, will forget any of this happened. You will forget about me. You won't remember my face, my name...absolutely nothing. I won't even be a bad memory in your head. Do you understand these orders as they have been given to you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Twice returned to the bar. By the time he arrived, he was not sure how he had gotten there or where he had been. He was dressed in his disguise so he assumed he had been on a mission. But where? And to do what?

Limping inside, hurting and disoriented, he fell into the closest booth seat. He raised his hands to hold his aching head only to see a strip of lace had been wrapped around his right hand. He slowly unraveled the cloth to see that it was once a pair of underwear but had been ripped to shreds.

"What the fu-"

"Did you get her?" Shigaraki asked, his red eyes sparkling with dark delight as they peeked between the fingers.

"Get who? What do you mean?" As hard as he tried, Jin couldn't remember.

"You were supposed to kidnap the Queen Bee and bring her back here," his boss barked impatiently.

"Who? What? I'm confused," Twice murmured, closing his eyes and massaging his temples. "I can't remember anything."

"What is that?" Shigaraki pointed at the underwear the man held in his hand.

"Uh - "

"You failed! DAMMIT!" Shigaraki shrieked in consuming rage. The irate man threw his glass onto the floor sending up diamond like shards of glass, the dark brown liquid splashing onto his black pants.

"Sir, please be careful with the glassware," Kurogiri admonished him politely. "Apparently she was able to get to Twice and use her quirk against him."

"Obviously," he screamed petulantly, stomping his feet like a rampaging toddler. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! Can anyone just kill this bitch?"

Shigaraki no longer wanted her quirk. He wanted her dead.

"Sir, there is another way. A better way. Virtually guaranteed to succeed," Kurogiri calmly spoke up, arranging the glasses on the shelf behind the bar. "Have you forgotten your benefactor and mentor so soon?"

Shigaraki thought for a minute. How could he be so stupid? She should be taken to All for One who could steal her quirk and transfer it to someone else. Possibly Toga. But how would this amazing feat be accomplished? Who could kidnap the Killer Queen? That would be an arduous task in itself apparently. Then she would have to be taken to All for One inside that maximum security prison. Who -

Kurogiri could apparently tell what the man was thinking. He quickly said, "I can help with that."

"It's so simple," Shigaraki mumbled to himself. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Sometimes it's the most obvious answers that elude us, sir."


	13. Chapter 13

"The principal's office in that building," the tall boy with rectangular glasses and booming voice informed Melina.

He directed her attention to the three story building to their right with a stiff, jerky movement of his hand and entire arm as if he were a police officer directing traffic.

"Okay. Thank you," Melina responded, clutching the strap of her purse hanging over her shoulder.

"After you enter the front doors, the main office is to your left," he said, extended his left arm out straight as if he were signaling a left turn on a bicycle.

"Got it," she assured him, already walking toward the building.

 _This is kid is strung WAY too tightly_ , she thought to herself.

His willingness to be helpful was kind and genuine, but he really needed to calm down and relax. Finding the office sounded easy once she entered the correct building.

Melina had simply asked which building was the administrative building. Then she was treated to an impromptu interrogation being asked about her identity and her intentions. Following the abrupt questioning, she received a lecture on the dangers of allowing strangers onto UA High property and an apology with the explanation that he was only taking necessary precautions to protect his fellow students.

"Melina! Wait up!"

Her footsteps came to an instant halt on the second step on her way up to the front doors. For just one second, she was sure she heard Dabi's voice. Taking into account her present location, she knew that voice belonged to someone else.

Besides, she believed Dabi's statement that he was never coming back was no empty threat. Threats and promises. Hints and allegations. Her life had been far too full of all of them as of late.

The only person who seemed trustworthy and genuine was the one coming straight toward her in a slow jog. His hair ruffled and bounced with the slight jarring of each footfall. His dual colored eyes dazzled her with their brilliance. His smile mesmerized her; a little half grin full of friendly mischievousness. The little brother she didn't know she wanted or needed. So cute.

Melina smiled broadly at him as he paused on the sidewalk at the foot of the steps. Standing halfway up the small flight of cement steps, she reached eye level with him. Wow.

 _Little_ brother - only in age. Already broad shouldered and much taller than her, he was built slender but muscular. In the future, he could develop a wide, barrel chest along with thickly muscled arms and thighs like Endeavor. As long as he didn't grow into a raging asshole like his father, all of the other similarities would be just fine.

Dabi was extremely tall and gangly as a scarecrow. His lengthy arms and legs were powerful but not bulky which hid their strength. However, like their father, he was an asshole.

 _Why the fuck does every thought lead back to him?_ , she asked herself irritably, but held the gentle smile on her face. Dabi wasn't here. Someone else who was becoming extremely important to her had arrived.

"Hi," Shoto greeted her.

"Hi there. I didn't expect you to find me so soon."

"But you did expect me to find you."

Melinda did indeed expect him to find her at some point while she was on campus. Her overactive imagination mused there must be a special magnet inside of her that drew the Todoroki men to her no matter where the hell she might be.

"Disappointed?" he inquired.

"Uh uh, never," she responded, shaking her head.

"Want me to show you to the principal's office?"

"But it's right there," she returned, pointing inside the building.

They both could see the frosted glass door through the crystal clear glass on the front door. _Principal's Office_ was printed on the door in three inch tall black, block letters.

"At least let me do this," he said, brushing past her to open the door to the building for her to enter. "See you later then?"

"I'm sure you will. Somewhere."

Melodious chimes almost like church bells rang out signalling the official beginning of the school day.

"You better get to class before you're late. Then we'll both be in the principal's office. But for very different reasons," she added with a wink. "Later, Shoto."

"See ya later, Melina."

"Ah, Miss Zusa, you are here!" All Might blurted out behind her almost scaring her out of her skin.

Once she got over being startled, Melina snorted to hold back her nervous laughter.

"Do come in, young lady," he invited, holding the office door open for her. "Principal Nezu is waiting for you."

Despite being slightly shrunken, hollow cheeked and a bit skeletal, the man had lost none of his charisma or the power in his voice. With a huge hand placed firmly on her back between her shoulder blades, he steered her through the office full of small cubicles with one large enclosed glass cubicle in the back.

The few teachers remaining in the room, who would be late for their own classes, eyed her with bored curiosity as All Might led her to the glassed in office at the back of the room marked 'Principal Nezu' specifically on the door in the same plain, bold black letters.

All Might knocked on the door with his bony knuckles. Seeing him this way almost hurt, filling her with guilt due to the consuming, all encompassing hatred for heroes she still carried buried deep within her heart.

For a moment, she contemplated what might have happened to the hero who inadvertently killed her mother. Did he die a pathetic death? Left all alone, forgotten by those who were supposed to revere him? Did he waste away into nothingness, eaten alive by remorse? She hoped so.

Bile rose in her throat as bitter and acidic as her thoughts. She swallowed, putting aside her hatred for the moment. It would still be waiting for her later. It was always was. She felt like if she left it behind completely, she would be betraying her mother by forgiving and forgetting that hero. But these people, all of these heroes, seemed so nice, kind and genuine.

"Come in," a gentle voice called behind the door.

 _Oh, what a sweet voice_ , she thought. _What the fuck is going on with me?!_

When the door swung open, Melina saw the most precious little mouse...man...person (mutant?) sitting behind the desk. Her hand flew to her mouth. Her knuckles pressed against her lips before she squealed from the astonishing but adorable sight of him.

 _Oh, my god! He's so cute!_ , she squealed in her head.

"Oh, hello, you must be Melina," he politely greeted her, slipping off the edge of his chair.

 _Oh, my god...oh, my god..._ , her inner voice chanted. She feared she might die of cuteness overload.

All she could see were his ears until he walked around the desk to meet her. He held out his hand - paw - for her to shake it. She reluctantly took her hand away from her mouth, biting the inside of her cheek until her eyes watered to prevent herself from gushing about his cuteness. Her hand took his.

The soft paw pads pressed against her palm and his fur felt silky smooth under her fingers. She barely resisted the insane urge to grab his hand to squeeze the round, pink toe beans to test their softness and squishability.

 _He isn't a cat!_ , she admonished herself. _Possibly a mouse, but damn near human too. So no. Don't do it!_

"I'm Principal Nezu," he introduced himself, shaking her hand before letting go. "I know my appearance is a bit shocking, but - "

"But you're so cute!" she burst out, quickly covering her mouth with both hands to keep anymore words she would regret from escaping. She carefully lowered her hands, whispering in her mortification,"I am so sorry."

"I've been called worse," he chuckled lightly. "Sit down, please."

All Might ushered Melina to one of the tan sofas facing each other with a coffee table in between. A teapot and three cups sat on the table. Surprisingly, All Might sat beside her rather than the principal. He poured the tea for all three of them.

The friendliness and humbleness of the recently deposed number one hero astonished her. A warm feeling spread throughout her body. She might be starting to like him the tiniest bit.

Melina picked up the saucer, carefully balancing the cup on top. Taking a tentative sniff, she smelled rose. After imbibing a small sip, she decided she liked the rose tea and went back for another.

"So, Miss Zusa, I've been told the girls of class 1-A would like for you to show them how you create your cosmetics," Principal Nezu said, sitting on the edge of the couch so his feet would touch the floor.

Melina thought she might explode from cuteness overload. Somehow she kept herself together, sipped her tea, and listened to the words coming out of his mouth.

"I am sure when making your beauty products you use a combination of several aspects of science. It would be an interesting new twist on teaching science concepts, allowing the children to have fun and experiment while learning. They won't even know they're learning."

"Botany, entomology, chemistry, biology...it combines quite a few of the sciences," she rejoined.

"Were you a teacher?" he inquired, leaning forward with interest, his teacup paused in mid air.

"I was a tutor in high school. My mother was a teacher. She adored being a teacher. She said she loved seeing her students faces light up as they learned. I understood what she meant when I began tutoring," she gushed in her excitement unintentionally offering a few tidbits of personal information. "There's nothing like that 'aha moment' when they grasp something, when understanding fully takes hold."

"Would you be willing to do the demonstration for other classes?" he questioned her.

"Definitely. I love what I do and would be thrilled to share that with them."

"Hmmm...Miss Zusa, I have a proposal for you," Principal Nezu began, sitting his teacup down on the saucer. "Why don't we try the demonstration classes for a while and see how they go? If the children like them and want to continue to learn more, would you be willing to keep teaching them?"

"Sure. I would love that!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Miss Zusa," All Might interjected. "I also have a question. Our students moved into dorms several months ago. Would you consider moving into the 1-A dorm to be a dorm monitor? I'm sure Mr. Aizawa would appreciate a little assistance especially when dealing with the...ah, shall we say, unique issues presented by the girls. Speaking for myself, I know I would."

All Might sounded like an exhausted, put upon single father at the end of his proverbial rope. His sincere love and concern for his students was evident. Seeing that made it difficult to give him an instant, hard no on the offer.

"Uh...hmm...well...I-I'm not sure. May I have a little time to think about that one?" she asked.

"Take all the time you need," he graciously responded. "I suppose we should see how the science class goes. Pardon my enthusiasm."

"Oh, and I would need to make a special request. I have an apiary and a flower garden, work shed, and green house that would need to be moved here should my moving in become a thing. Is that a problem?" she asked, holding out her cup for a refill.

She might as be demanding too since they were making such a life changing request of her. A smile curled her lips as the blond hero filled her empty cup.

"Of course we could accommodate you," Principal Nezu interjected. "It's a very good idea, All Might," he added, holding out his cup as well as he addressed the man. "Perhaps a bit premature though. As for the present, don't you think it would be a good idea to show our guest around the school?"

"That is a good idea, Mr. Principal," All Might agreed heartily.

 _Teacher? Dorm mother? Or as All Might called it, dorm monitor. Oh, joy! What the fuck have I gotten myself into?!_ , the voice locked inside her head screamed in panic.

Melina finished her tea to wet her dry throat. Then she stood up to be ushered to the door by All Might.

"Please enjoy your tour, and welcome to our school," Principal Nezu said as he bid them farewell at his office door.

She could not believe they did not ask her any further questions or run a background check. Perhaps they had researched her, conducting an in depth investigation into her and her past before her arrival. However, she doubted it. One of the heroes greatest faults were their trusting nature, taking everyone at face value and taking them at their word.

Not that she was purposely being deceptive or intended to do harm to them. But seriously? Seems like they would be more careful who they let into their home, quite literally, no questions asked. Even the boy who interrogated her out front had been more thorough.

Neither the principal nor All Might had asked her what her quirk is which brought her incredible relief. Explaining her quirk and how it worked, more specifically how she administered it, would have been quite embarrassing.

All Might extolled the purpose of each building as they walked past them. They did not go inside as that would disturb classes. A main centralized building, at least five times bigger than the others surrounding it, housed the general classrooms where the students spent most of their school day. The buildings flanking it held the classrooms for specific areas of study or work such as the science building, the arts such as dance and music, and the gymnasium. Behind the gym the property extended into a track and field area and beyond that a mock cityscape.

 _Holy hell! How big is this school?_ , she wondered, marveling at the extensive property. This place is a city within a city.

While they walked, All Might spoke about the students, mostly the ones in class 1-A. She recognized several of the names as the friends and classmates Todoroki introduced her to at the festival. He expressed a fatherly pride, his tone affectionate and warm, when he spoke about the boy.

Maybe Shoto was the reason they were so willing to accept her with no questions asked. Since he was friends with her that lent her a certain credibility and garnered instant respect. Melina experienced a swelling of pride in her chest when All Might talked about Shoto Todoroki.

"When you move in to the dorms, your bees and everything you need will be relocated here to the science building," he assured her. "You can't do your job properly if you don't have those things."

"Well, yes, of course."

His statement made it seem they already had their minds set on her being a teacher. Perhaps they were equally serious in their offer of her living here.

The idea of living on the UA campus actually appealed to Melina. Particularly in light of the revelation that her address had been given out to every member of the League of Villains.

Toga had to be the one who spread that piece of information to everyone. After all, Kurogiri had taken her to the apartment to trash it. That girl really did hate her with a passion.

Jealousy made people become terrible monsters. But Melina believed Himiko Toga was a monster way before she became jealous of her being with Dabi. She poked a sleeping bear, rousing Toga's furious anger made worse when Dabi chose her over the girl who already had a crush on him.

The bell in the tower beside the administrative/faculty building tolled the hour announcing with twelve dings that it was officially noon and time for lunch.

In response, Melina's tummy growled. She was hungry and tired. They had been walking an extraordinarily long time.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" All Might inquired. "I apologize for not asking earlier."

"Yes, both," she laughed lightly. "And tired."

"I apologize for the excessively long tour. I suppose I did get carried away."

"It's fine. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in your school and students."

"How about I show you the cafeteria next?" he suggested with a smile, leading her into the building to the left of the main classroom building.

Students stared inquisitively as they passed, curious about the stranger in their school. The kids parted onto either side of them as they proceeded down the hall as if clearing a path for royalty. The worst part was the kids stopped, pressing their bodies against the wall to watch as they passed by.

Having all eyes on her made her exceedingly uncomfortable. Melina kept a neutral expression, doing her best to smile pleasantly as they stared. Keeping her eyes forward, she did not look at any faces among the throngs on either side of them.

She no longer enjoyed being the center of attention. As a matter of fact, she often wished she could disappear entirely since she caught the attention of Shigaraki and the League of Villains.

"So Miss Zusa," All Might began,"what exactly is your quirk?"

 _OH, NO!_ The dreaded question had been asked and within earshot of dozens of witnesses. Kids no doubt.

"Well...uhm, ah...it's kind of a..." She paused searching her brain for the correct words. Mind control sounded too sinister. "It's a manipulation technique. I can convince someone to follow any order I give them."

 _That didn't sound too bad_ , she told herself, breathing an audible sigh of relief.

"How is it activated?" He opened one of the double doors leading into the busy, student filled cafeteria.

 _Shit!_ She dreaded that question even more. She could lie, but what would be the point? They might want her to demonstrate her technique at some point. It's happened before when she wasn't expecting it. May as well be prepared the possible eventuality this time.

"Through a kiss," she answered bluntly, observing his lightly tanned face turn a lovely shade of red that matched the cherry tomatoes on the salad behind the plastic barrier. She stifled a giggle as he cleared his throat.

"Isn't that interesting?" he remarked, apparently not knowing what else to say. "We have a student who employs a technique he calls brainwashing. It's also a mind control technique."

Well, damn. So much for her fancy double speak but her quirk is what it is no matter how she tried to hide it.

"Choose anything you like. I'll pay for it," he told her as she observed her choices.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I can - "

"Don't be silly, young lady. You're our guest today."

"Okay then," she agreed. "Thank you, All Might."

Although starving, she decided to restrain herself to a salad, an apple, and a bottle of water. At least here in the cafeteria, the students were too intent on getting their food and socializing to notice her. Except for one student.

As she was sitting down with All Might at a round table in the corner, Shoto arrived and inserted himself in the chair between them.

"How do you like the school?" he asked her.

"Oh, it's amazing! It's absolutely huge. I can't wait to take a tour of the classrooms, especially in the science building," she replied, stabbing her salad vigorously.

"Be careful around Hatsume in research and development," All Might warned, taking a huge bite of sandwich as if to signal he did not want to go into details.

"What does he mean?" Melina asked Shoto in an exaggerated stage whisper loud enough for All Might to hear.

"Hatsume invents things. She makes weapons and add ons to our uniforms, to help us harness our quirks and use them to the best of our abilities while keeping us safe," he explained. "She created sensors and insulation in my suit that compensate for my hot and cold powers. They adjust to my body temperature as needed to keep me from overheating or freezing."

"Oh, gotcha," she murmured. _Hot and cold powers, huh. Just as I thought._

"Hey, Icy-Hot!" exclaimed the loud mouth blond dandelion with the bad attitude. "You didn't tell us your girlfriend was visiting today."

Melina glowered at Bakugo as he sauntered up to the table. She didn't like the smug grin on his face as if he believed himself to be better than them in some way.

"She's not my g-"

"Jealous?" Melina interjected, putting her hand on Todoroki's shoulder.

"Huh?" Bakugo grunted, his mouth hanging open. "It's true?"

"It doesn't matter if it is or isn't. No one is responsible for your assumptions but you" she challenged him, standing up to face him although she had to look up to meet his intense gaze. "What I am to him is certainly no business of yours."

"Whatever," the blonde muttered, thrusting his hands into his pockets and pivoting on his heel to walk away.

"Still feisty and ready to fight," All Might chuckled lightly. "You've gone from throwing rotten fruit at heroes to tossing strong words at them?"

"I just hate self-centered, egotistical jerks like that who are accustomed to getting their way and look down on everyone else," she said, feeling embarrassed by her overreaction.

"You certainly don't want to meet my dad then," Shoto muttered. "Bakugo's not that bad though."

"Yeah, well...maybe not but his attitude annoyed me," she said, thinking maybe she had been too harsh.

She most definitely did NOT want to meet Shoto's sperm donor - that's why she purposely avoided him at the festival.

"You're something else, Miss Zusa," All Might laughed. "You'll be an interesting addition to the teaching staff."

"Addition to the teaching staff?" Shoto repeated, his eyes widening as he turned them on her.

"Now wait a minute, nothing has been decided yet on either my part nor the school's," she reminded him.

"I think you're going to like it here," All Might said, summarily ignoring her protest.

Melina felt like a hapless swimmer being dragged along in a rip current in the ocean called life.

A hushed whisper ran across the cafeteria sounding like wind through the pine trees back home in North Carolina. The name spoken from their lips made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

All activity and sound ceased in the large, heavily occupied room. All eyes turned toward the door. There stood Endeavor in all of his flaming glory. Oh, and just when she thought her day couldn't become more of a train wreck.

Melina refrained from issuing any four letter interjections despite how badly she wanted to as the man strode into the room. A pins and needles sensation ran through her insides as if a thousand bees were stinging her at her once.

Students delighted by the number one hero's surprise visit surrounded him, asking questions all at once. They jumped up and down, waving their hands in his face as each one sought his attention.

Endeavor pushed aside the eager teens, moving forward like a human bulldozer with an angry expression on his face. Anger seemed to be his permanent state of being. His fierce turquoise eyes scanned the room. He was most likely looking for his son. Too bad he never bothered to search for his other son who disappeared and had eventually become lost to the family for good.

"Shoto, come on," she whispered, grabbing his hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked as they slinked along the wall at the outer perimeter of the room.

"Away from here," she responded, clasping his hand tightly in hers.

As they neared the door, coming around behind Endeavor, Melina had a devilish idea. Pulling Shoto close to her, she whispered in his ear. Her lips were so close they brushed the outer curve making him wince away from her. She was too intent on her plan to pull a dirty trick to notice his reaction.

"How much do you dislike your father?" she asked, receiving a questioning glance.

"More than you can imagine. Why?" Shoto inquired, his eyes sparkling with mischievous curiosity.

"Form an ice ball for me. About the size of a softball," she requested.

"Here," Shoto said, handing her a large, heavy perfect sphere of ice.

"You might want to leave," she advised him, pushing him toward the door behind them.

"And miss this? Hell, no," he shot back, keeping his eyes on her as she stepped away from him.

Melina was about to show the student body and teachers presently located in the cafeteria her pitching prowess. Since Endeavor was so much taller and wider than the students, she could hit him easily without inadvertently striking an innocent bystander.

All Might already knew of her throwing capabilities first hand. Shoto had witnessed her 'killer arm,' as All Might put it, the day of the festival when she cleared out the prizes from both the ball toss booth and the knock down the bottles game. Endeavor was about to receive an introduction.

Winding up like a fast pitch softball pitcher, she swung her arm around in a complete circle, lobbing the ball at him at high speed with an underhand throw. The underhand throw allowed the ball to pop up then over, sailing above the heads of the students and straight toward her target.

"Endeavor! Look out!" she yelled at him.

Endeavor whirled around. His eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the ice projectile hurtling toward his head. Pushing the students closest to him away with a hearty shove, the flames on his face and chest flared out, surrounding the ball before it smashed into his skull.

Although he melted it, the object made of solid ice was too close to evaporate into steam. The lukewarm water splashed him in the face, extinguishing his flames and soaking his hair. The water dripped from his hair, running in rivulets down his face.

Melina saw the terrible wedge shaped scar marring almost the entire left side of Endeavor's face from the widest part across his forehead down to the tapered point at his chin.

The Todoroki men were so scarred on the outside she could not imagine their numerous deep wounds on the inside. The injuries that refused to heal, not allowing them to love themselves or each other. All of them broken and angry. No wonder they detested each other so much. They were too damaged by the world and each other to be able to love one another.

"Did anyone see who threw that?" All Might inquired, his voice echoing through the room.

"I did!" Melina confessed, raising her hand so Endeavor could see her above the crowd.

"Aw, dammit," All Might muttered, his voice carrying through the unnaturally silent room.

Endeavor emitted a grunt of anger and frustration, his furious eyes fixing themselves on her. The flames surged out of his face, drying his skin and clothes, covering the scar from her sight.

"What the hell was that? And who the hell are you?" he demanded, walking straight up to her.

 _Oh, he might actually kill me right here in front of God and everybody_ , she thought to herself taking a step back from him. She could feel the heat of his flames over the entire front of her body.

"I was demonstrating a physics principle to your son here. Speed and velocity in proportion to the size of an object. However, I miscalculated because I did not take into account the chemical makeup the object when formulating my hypothesis. My bad!" she exclaimed, giggling like an absent minded professor who had more book sense than walking around sense.

"You're a teacher?" Endeavor asked incredulously, studying her skeptically from head to toe as if searching for any sign of intelligence that enabled her to be a teacher.

Melina had worn her comfortable ripped jeans and a rose pink off the shoulder top with a big ruffle that encompassed her shoulders and accentuated her breasts. Probably not the best choice because she could be mistaken for an out of uniform student.

His eyes ceased roving over her body when they encountered her cleavage. Wow, really? Apparently her fashion choice proved to be a major distraction for the hero standing in front her.

 _Asshole. Like father, like son_ , she guessed, standing back to study him critically. He had one son like him anyway which was a crying shame. She had she cried hours of tears over that man.

"You're the number one hero?" she returned derisively, dumping the airhead routine when he didn't buy it.

"Who the hell do you think - "

Shoto stepped from behind Melina to position himself in front of her using himself as a buffer between her and his father.

"Dad, please - " Shoto began only to be cut off.

"Move, son," he commanded him brusquely, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't you touch him!" she yelled without thinking, slapping away the man's hand away.

Endeavor's flames surged out in his rising anger. He reached toward Melina.

"We need to have a talk. Alone."

"Oh, Endeavor," Principal Nezu said, making his appearance in the cafeteria in an extremely timely manner. He distracted the gigantic flaming hero to prevent him from the grabbing the mouthy woman. "How nice of you to visit today. I see you've met our new science teacher, Miss Melina Zusa."

"Nice to meet you," Melina cheerily proclaimed although that was far from the truth.

She threw up in her mouth a little due to the overwhelming revulsion induced by the man, yet held her 'fuck you but I have to be polite' smile. Stepping from behind Shoto, she put out her hand to formally greet the incensed hero. Forcing him to comply with social graces to keep up appearances, she gritted her teeth in anticipation of having to touch him.

"Yes, likewise," he rejoined, retracting his flames from his hand before shaking hers.

The way his narrow angry eyes latched on to her eyes let her know he returned her true sentiment of abhorrence hidden under a thin veneer of politeness. She had become quite the expert on how to lose friends and alienate people. Although thankfully, she had not lost a special friend in the boy standing next to her; only alienated the man she loved and his father whom she just met and didn't like anyway.

"Shoto," Principal Nezu said, coming around to stand between Endeavor and Melina. "Why don't you show Miss Zusa to the gate? I'm sure she's had a tiring morning." Shifting his gaze to her, he said,"I expect to see you in my office bright early tomorrow morning at 7."

This was the first time in many, many years she was being officially summoned to the principal's office. It conjured disturbing flashbacks from high school. Her bad attitude had made her high school life pure hell - mostly for the teachers and those few students who became targets of her bitterness and rage. She spent an undue amount of time in the principal's office and detention.

"Yes, sir," Melina acquiesced with a gracious bow. She was smart enough to know when she was being given an exit strategy so she was taking it.

Strong fingers enclosed Melina's wrist, squeezing. She whimpered from the jolt of pain that coursed through her wrist and up her arm. Her wrist was still a bit tender after almost being broken by Twice.

"Come on, Melina. Let's go," Shoto murmured, placing his other hand on the small of her back to push her forward. Once out in the hall, he hissed at her, "Are you crazy?"

"I'm beginning to think so," she returned only a little bit sarcastic.

"That was amazing though," he said, his fingers releasing her wrist.

"I'll admit it wasn't smart, but it was so worth it," she giggled apprehensively. "I'm glad Principal Nezu showed up when he did."

"He has a talent for that. It's definitely not a good idea to piss off the number one hero."

 _It wasn't a good idea to piss off a dozen or more villains either,_ her inner voice helpfully reminded her. She nervously chewed her lower lip. Her head ached. She rubbed her pounding temple with her fingers.

"Are you all right?" Shoto inquired.

"I've just got a hell of a headache. It's been a stressful day," she said.

Shoto opened the door for her, allowing her to escape the stifling atmosphere inside the building. The warm spring sunshine felt good on her skin and the cool breeze stripped away the stagnant air suffocating her.

"Is there something else wrong?" he questioned her.

"Still nursing my broken heart. No big deal. I'll get over it," she assured him.

"Hey, don't act like that," he murmured, reaching out to touch her, but she shied away. "It's perfectly okay to be upset when you have a broken heart."

"How did you know? When you said something the other day at the cafe...how did you know I was upset about a relationship?"

"I remembered the way my mom's face looked after she would cry. My mom would cry so hard, like her heart had been shattered into a million pieces, when my father would do something to hurt her," he said, staring down at the sidewalk dappled with shadows from the trees overhanging the path. "He hurt both her feelings and her body...a hell of a lot more than he should have."

 _Number one hero, my ass!_ , Melina seethed inside. The only thing she regretted about the ice ball incident was that Endeavor melted it before the projectile could knock his damn head off of his shoulders.

"Oh, Shoto, I'm so sorry," she murmured, taking a little step toward him. "Some wounds heal in time. Others never do no matter how hard we try. I'm sure it broke her heart more when he would hurt you."

"She's the one who gave me this scar," he informed her.

Melina didn't know what to say. She had no clue what abuse the woman must have suffered at the hands of her husband. What emotional turmoil could twist a mother to make her hurt her child like that?

No doubt dear old Dad was the trigger that caused her to break and do that to him. The burn was on the fire side of him, the part of Shoto that reminded his mother of his father. But to hurt her innocent child...what Endeavor did to her must have been horrible. She didn't want to think about it.

Although she had been trying to avoid touching him, Melina slid her arms around Shoto's shoulders to give him a brief hug.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," she apologized profusely, stepping back from him quickly. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

"Why would being hugged by a beautiful older woman in the middle of the school campus for everyone to see embarrass me?" he asked her, a lopsided grin on his lips and a blush on his cheeks.

"Wow, that makes it sound even more humiliating when you put it that way."

"Well, it's not. Besides, thanks to Bakugo's big mouth and your hot temper, everybody probably thinks you really are my girlfriend anyway," he reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, right," she murmured, rocking back and forth from her toes to her heels. "Are you going to correct them in their assumption?"

"Why would I?" he scoffed.

"Shoto Todoroki! You are bad!" she exclaimed in mock offense, playfully slapping his chest.

The bell from the tower chimed signaling that lunch was over and classing were resuming.

"I should go," Melina announced, turning toward the gate.

Shoto lunged forward swiftly, taking her by the arm to thread it through his for him to escort her. They walked in silence not knowing what to say. He seemed to want to protect her as much as she did him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said at the gate, reluctantly untangling his arm from hers.

Melina didn't realize how tightly she had been holding him and how much much she didn't want to let him go until that moment.

"See you tomorrow, Shoto."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stood on the roof of an abandoned warehouse with an unhindered view of the front door of the bar hideout. Although everything was tinted green, the night vision capability of the mask allowed her to see through the darkness. Nothing moved without her seeing her it. At the moment, nothing moved at all.

Opening the cylindrical map case where she kept the pieces of the automatic dart gun, she placed the two foot long black tube on the blanket where the rest of her small arsenal lay in neat rows. Upending the repurposed map holder, the firing mechanism she had fashioned using parts from of an air soft pistol fell into her hand. Screwing the cobbled together device into the end of the tube completed the blow dart gun powered by compressed gas which offered her far more power and greater distance than a lung powered device.

The next strike in this war, as Dabi had called it, belonged to her, and she had come to administer it. She must defend herself.

 _Never back down. Never show weakness. Never let them see your fear no matter how fucking terrified you might be. Never run even if the odds are stacked against you. Fight like hell, and go down swinging_ , Melina mentally coached herself, taking carefully measured breaths to keep herself from hyperventilating.

Flipping open the lid to one of the boxes containing the stinger darts, she glided her fingers over the six darts that resembled extremely large black bullets. Placing the dart gun down beside them, she picked up the 12 gauge shot gun loaded with rubber buckshot. She was about to find out who was home.

"Knock, knock, bitches," she whispered aloud, her voice slightly garbled from the digitalizer.

A crack sounded when she pulled the trigger. The bullets sprayed the door creating a barrage of sound like dozens of tiny battering rams pounding on the door.

Putting down the gun, she picked up the miniature missile launcher loaded with tear gas canisters. She had rigged them with special spring loaded pins that would break off when they hit the ground. Her father had raised her to be smarter after all.

When the door opened, Melina launched the tear gas attack by shooting the first canister over Twice's head to force the bar occupants out to the street. The second canister hit the sidewalk to spray the area with the gas creating a doubly blinding haze, obscuring the vision in front of their teary eyes with the white smoke.

As the blinded, coughing villains spilled out of the door onto the sidewalk, she picked up a flash-bang grenade, arming it then hurling it down the street as far it would go. The weapon didn't have to be right next to them to do its work.

The stunned and disoriented individuals stumbled around in the fog of confusion and gas, bumping into each other or tripping over their own feet. For a minute she watched the comical group of bumbling, fumbling villains, her eyes searching for Dabi. But he wasn't there.

She was grateful for his absence. Although she wished she didn't give a damn, she still loved him. Stupid, stupid heart.

She did not want to hurt him. It was because of him that she refrained from using lethal techniques when dealing with this pack of relentless, malevolent knuckleheads. Sparing his life prevented her from launching a missile into the bar and being done with the whole thing.

Picking up the dart gun, Melina took aim at Magne, hitting her in the chest with a dart and sending her to the ground. She skipped over Twice, feeling she had tortured him enough. Himiko Toga was also spared a dart because this one would kill her.

Growing feelings for Dabi had impaired her ability to be completely ruthless. Although definitely not a hero, she had developed one of the greatest downfalls of a hero - believing even those who want to kill her deserved mercy. That kind of thinking only allows her enemies to live to kill her another day.

The next target looked like Shigaraki with all of the bizarre bumps and lumps poking out at odd angles. She sure as hell hoped it was him as she pulled the trigger on the device.

Melina leveled the sight of the gun on Mustard, the weird kid in the school uniform and gas mask. She never understood why they allowed him to hang out at the bar. But then again, Toga was there, and she couldn't be over fifteen.

Before she could press the trigger, she observed him through her gun sight raising his gun and taking aim at her. If he shot her, the bullet would go through her eye. Damn.

"Look out!" Dabi yelled from behind her.

"Whoa!" Melina shrieked when she was snatched backwards by her hood.

Despite his best efforts, Dabi could pull her only partially out of the line of fire. The bullet hit the mask below her left eye, cracking it.

The impact of the bullet was like punch to the face with a pneumatic hammer. Pain swelled and exploded through her entire face and head, making everything, including her teeth, throb.

The optical sensor in the mask flickered, emitting a flash of white light before winking out completely. She could only see out of one of the 'eyes.' At least she hoped it was only the optical sensor in the mask that was damaged and useless.

"Fuck!" Dabi yelled, clawing at the fractured mask. "How do you get this fucking thing off?"

Melina pushed back the hood, detaching the mask from the latches holding it securely to the plastic shell covering her entire head. Without her taking it off voluntarily, he never would have been able to remove it. Twisting the entire face plate a half turn to the left then slightly to the right, she lifted it straight off to reveal her face.

"Oh, thank god," she sighed in relief when his face came into clear, gorgeous focus in both of her eyes.

"You idiot! What the hell are you doing here?!" he bellowed at her, enveloping her in a bone crushing hug.

"I've missed you too," she wheezed.

Melina held his intense gaze when he pushed her away from him to stare at her face. He scowled at her as he studied her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Dammit, Melina, why?" he wondered aloud in a soft voice barely above a whisper.

"You know why," she shot back venomously, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"Go home, Melina," he commanded her, his eyes locking onto hers. "I don't mean your apartment. I mean go back to the United States. Go home where you'll be safe."

"Where I'll be safe?" she scoffed derisively. "I almost died there too!"

"But at least you didn't have people hunting you down. Go home!" Dabi ordered her, shaking her lightly.

"No! There's nothing left for me there but bad memories!" she shrieked back at him.

"You're going to be a bad memory here at this rate!" he hollered back at her.

Melina slapped him but the padded leather glove on her hand softened the blow, removing the sting.

Dabi scrutinized the injury on her face where Mustard shot the mask. At least the mask suffered the biggest part of damage.

She was not blind, and the bullet had not penetrated her skin. A blotchy redness covered the highest part of her cheekbone. The pressure bruise was already swelling. Tiny crimson dots from where capillaries had ruptured speckled the puffy red area. She would have hell of a bruise by morning.

"Shit," he grumbled, pulling her against him one more time. "Does it hurt too much?"

"Don't worry. This pain will go away," she said, wiggling out of his grip. "But some kinds of pain stays with us forever."

The way she smiled him made him nauseated.

"Go home, for god's sake," he begged her in a soft voice. "Before someone kills you."

"Will it be you?" she questioned him, the words tumbling rapidly out of her mouth.

"What?" Was she asking him what he thought she was asking?

"Will it be you who kills me? Huh?"

"No. Because I can't you idiot."

"Why?"

Surely she wasn't this stupid. But she could be excessively cruel. Staring at her in disbelief, he inhaled a deep breath to maintain his composure. He reached to touch her face, but she flinched to avoid his touch. Sighing dejectedly, he dropped his hand.

The wail of police cars could be heard in the distance. There was also a high pitched whine that could only be attributed to a helicopter.

Dabi smiled. She wasn't completely insane after all. She was actually crazy smart for calling the police before she began her siege.

"I love you, you moron. That's why I can't kill you."

The wind began to swirl around them, moving his shaggy hair. A police spotlight lit them up from the chopper above.

"This is the police! Nobody move!" advised an authoritative voice over a loudspeaker from the helicopter.

"You what? Dabi, I - "

Blue flashing lights and whooping sirens of police cars added to the chaos as they screeched to a stop in the street below.

Melina could feel a slight sucking sensation behind her. It reminded of her when she would stand close to the grates of the air intake of the central air conditioning unit inside her childhood home. Black holes in space sucked things toward them. Oh, no!

"Dabi! Wait! I didn't hear you!" she screamed before Kurogiri pulled her into the portal.

"Good bye, Melina."

Dabi turned and ran, jumping off the roof of the building onto the old, rusted fire escape. He swiftly climbed down having had lots of practice traversing fire escapes in recent weeks. The close proximity of the buildings and the darkness aided in his escape from the spotlight from the helicopter.

The policemen who arrived in cars were too busy arresting the villains still dazed and confused in the street to notice him as he ran through the darkened alleyways.

At least for tonight, Dabi knew Melina would be safe. Kurogiri would deposit her into her apartment to live another day. He was not worried about Kurogiri taking her somewhere despite a good opportunity to kidnap her presenting itself.

The League of Villains had once again been displaced from their safe haven. They would have nowhere to keep an extremely hostile hostage because they had no place to run for cover themselves. Taking her to meet All for One would have to wait for a better time when the police and the heroes would not immediately be on their ass.

Shigaraki was going to be pissed beyond all reason. He might even have a myocardial infarction. Once again, the man had lost his not so secret hideout. It would take days, possibly weeks, to find another place to hide. That was good. House hunting, so to speak, would give him a distraction keeping him from being fixated on the Queen Bee for a little while.

Melina had bought herself a few days, possibly a few weeks of peace. As much as she infuriated him, Dabi also loved her with equal intensity. Although she had not said it, he was sure she loved him too.

Loving her made him willing to give her up in order to spare her life. He believed with all of his broken heart she understood that sometimes love wasn't enough to solve all problems. And they had a very big problem.


	14. Chapter 14

Melina rechecked her makeup on the street corner across from the UA campus. A lavenderish coloration could be seen around her eye and across her cheekbone under the multiple layers of concealer, foundation, and powder she had carefully applied in an effort to camouflage the bruise. That was the best she could do to disguise the horrible purplish-black blotch. Snapping her compact shut, she slid it back into her purse.

"Don't worry! You're beautiful!" Shoto shouted from across the street.

"Jesus," she muttered, her head snapping up to see him at the gate. _Of course, he's waiting for me._

For the first time since she met Shoto, she was not happy to see him. Shoring up her courage, gathering up her scattered nerves, and hoping for the best, she trotted across the street to meet him at the gate. She doubted Mr. Perceptive would miss the bruise, but she prayed he would at least refrain from questioning her about it.

"Walking me to the Principal's office, Mr. Todoroki?" she asked, giving him her best, most genuine fake smile.

"It's your first day of school so I thought you could use a hand to hold," he said, extending his hand toward her.

"Ah, you're sweet," she murmured, taking his hand.

"Oooooh," came a chorus of male voices from somewhere above them.

They both looked up to see several boys scatter away from the second floor window of a classroom overlooking the courtyard and gate area.

"Damn those guys," he muttered. "They're not even supposed to be in there."

Melina giggled. Shoto turned as red as the red half of his hair. She punched him playfully in the arm like a best buddy would.

"You're too cute when you get embarrassed like that," she said.

"Ugh," he groaned.

She laughed again, louder and longer.

"What happened to your face?" he questioned her.

GODDAMMIT! Melina tripped over the thin air, and he caught her with an outstretched arm to set her firmly on her feet. She hadn't expected him to go straight in for the truth so soon. Her heart raced as her brain spun out of control searching for an excuse.

"Oh, well...I, uh..." She scratched her head as if it might help her think. "It's embarrassing...really embarrassing...I-I was going to get a glass of water last night when I tripped. I fell and hit the corner of my coffee table."

"You are a little clumsy," he remarked, looking behind them as if searching for what she had tripped over.

Good thing she had stumbled a little bit in shock from his question as if to prove her tendency to be ungainly. Nausea swam around in her belly, propelled by guilt. She didn't like lying to him. He had been too open, too honest with her for her to be deceptive in return. But she couldn't tell him the truth. What would he think of her?

His hand tightening around hers drew her out of her head and back to him as he walked her up the stairs to the faculty building. Pulling her to stand in front of him, she could feel his breath on her cheek when he leaned forward to open the door for her.

"Good luck on your first day of school," he told her, holding the door.

"Sure thing," she returned with a smile, pivoting on her heel to go inside.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked before she could step away from him.

"I'm fine," she assured him without looking back.

Melina could hear it in his voice that he doubted her story about the purple mark. She didn't have time to worry about convincing him of her lie right now. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she took careful measured steps toward the office. Raising her chin, plastering on a smile, she opened the door and walked inside.

Upon nearing Principal Nezu's private office, Melina could see three occupants in total in the room through the clear glass walls, one being Mr. Principal of course. On one of the couches sat All Might and an unkempt man dressed in black with an extremely long white scarf wrapped around his neck. The man looked like he would prefer to be anywhere but here and taking a nap.

Melina knocked on the door of Principal Nezu's office. All of the men looked toward the door, abandoning their conversation. She was waved in with a paw.

"Good morning, Melina. I'm happy to see you," Mr. Principal said, meeting her at the door. "Please sit."

She took a seat on the other couch, positioning herself across from All Might who began introductions to the sleepy and disgruntled looking man.

"Melina, this is Shota Aizawa. He's the homeroom teacher for class 1-A and their dorm monitor," he explained. "Aizawa, this is Melina Zusa. She's going to be the new science teacher. She might also be moving into the dorms to assist with the girls."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Aizawa," Melina said, leaning forward and extending her hand.

"Hmmm," he grunted, glancing at her hand without attempting to shake it. His dark, affectless eyes moved back up to her face. "Do you have skills other than your charm and your pretty face?"

"I do have quite the pitching arm. I'd be happy to demonstrate that skill," she offered, her hand moving toward the baseball sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

"NO!" Principal Nezu and All Might exclaimed at once, both lunging forward to retrieve the object before she could.

Principal Nezu cleared his throat and straightened his tie as All Might placed the ball on the shelves behind the couch and far out of Melina's reach.

"That won't be necessary, Miss Zusa," the principal said, coming to sit down beside her.

"Oh, so you must be the one I keep hearing about from the incident in the cafeteria," Aizawa mumbled sounding as if he were holding back a yawn. "At least you've got balls. Or you could just be stupid."

Melina pressed her lips together so tightly they began to go numb. Every ounce of restraint within her body was required to keep her from saying something nasty involving several four letter words.

"Would you care to play a game?" he asked.

"A game?" she scoffed. _What the hell is this? Who does this guy think he is?_

"Just a little getting to know you exercise for you and the kids," he shrugged. "And me."

Melina really didn't feel like playing games of any kind especially after her ordeal last night. Her unexpected trip through time and space itself left her feeling as if she had been put through a blender. For hours she lay in bed where Kurogiri dropped her, fighting off the urge to vomit while unable to move a muscle. The room had spun around her as if she were on some carnival ride. Sleep had not come easily but thankfully it finally did come to her.

"Aizawa, your test will have to wait. Besides, I believe she is more than capable of proving herself in the classroom. I'm sure she will at least be able to stay awake for classes," Principal Nezu said, his tone neutral yet somehow still snarky. "Come, Miss Zusa, we will show you to your classroom."

Since classes were in session, the halls were devoid of students. They led her to the classroom she could claim as hers while chattering about upcoming school events. Special training exercises, disaster drills, picnics, class trips...all sounded like great fun.

Melina pondered the possibility of finding a new home here. As much as she looked forward to being a part of something again, she doubted it would work out for her. The last time she tried to belong to something, it became a fabulous catastrophe that hasn't quit yet.

"And this is your classroom," Principal Nezu announced, opening the door he had just unlocked.

The classroom was on the third floor, conveniently located next to the stairwell leading to the roof. It looked like any other science classroom. Black topped square lab stations equipped with a sink, a microscope, and a Bunsen burner on each. Two stools sat at each station. The top half of the walls were lined with cabinets full of equipment from chemicals to specimen slides. The bottom half of three walls were lined with bookcases full of reference books and many miniature three dimensional plastic models.

The obligatory human skeleton hung from a rolling rack in the corner. Melina walked over, running her fingers over the collarbone. Plastic - just as it should be.

"My high school science teacher had one made of real human bones. Everyone, even the other teachers, used to joke around saying that it was the bones of his ex-wife who disappeared." She chuckled mirthlessly. "My senior year, they found it actually was his ex-wife."

"That's scary as hell," Aizawa remarked with zero change in his tone or facial expression.

 _God, what a buzzkill._ He didn't even have the decency to at least look appalled like Principal Nezu and All Might did. The most disturbing element about her statement was that it was true; and that damn man couldn't be bothered to lift an eyebrow.

"Life must absolutely bore you out of your skull, Mr. Aizawa," she retorted, rapping on the skull of the skeleton with her knuckles.

"Most days," he rejoined flatly.

Did anything ever elicit an emotional reaction from this man? Probably not. He appeared to be done with life and people's shit in a myriad of ways. Actually, on a certain level, she could understand his sentiment of just not giving a damn.

"So what do you think?" All Might inquired.

"It's definitely a science classroom, but I like it. Thank you all for this opportunity," Melina said. She bowed to show her gratitude and respect to them - to Principal Nezu and All Might. Aizawa just happened to be there. "When can my beehives and flowers be moved?"

"I think tomorrow will be a good day," Aizawa responded, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his loose black jumpsuit. "I'll speak to the other teachers about it since we will be taking students out of class. All of the 1-A students can help so we can get it done quickly. Koda will have to be kept away from the bees. Entomophobia."

"Fear of insects. That's a shame," she sighed sadly. "Are you planning for me to move into the dorm already as well?"

"Sure. Why wait? ," he responded with a shrug. "The girls need someone to be there for them. I can only go so far in instructing and helping them in personal areas."

"I understand. Well then, I suppose I'll be moving in." She desperately wanted to find the brakes on her life before things completely went sideways. She could feel it coming.

"Miss Zusa, if you would like, you can familiarize yourself with your classroom for as long as you would like. You're officially a teacher after all," Principal Nezu proclaimed, handing her the key. "We'll be going now."

Melina watched the three gentlemen as they left the room. She giggled when All Might poked his head back inside, giving her a thumbs up and a wink. How could she ever hate such a lovable dork?

She went to the station located at the front of the room. Built like all of the rest it faced the others and was positioned equidistant between the two rows: it had to be the teacher's desk. Sitting down on the round bottomed backless stool, her eyes studied the classroom from the perspective of a teacher. She chuckled to herself in excitement.

"I'm a high school teacher," she proclaimed aloud to herself. "Unbelievable. I never thought I'd go back to high school for any reason."

Her first kill took place in high school. Ironically enough, the unlucky person was her science teacher. But he deserved it.

They say you never forget your first. Until she saw that anatomical skeleton, she had forgotten that man ever existed. That's the way it should have stayed.

Her senior year science teacher was a revolting man. Handsome, mesmerizing, polite, manipulative, predatory were all words she would use to describe him and did when questioned by the police. His pleasing to the eyes exterior and carefully crafted nice guy persona hid the monster inside from the world. The ones who saw it never survived to tell the tale of the beast they encountered - except for her.

When he set his sights on her, he triggered a fear response inside of her, and she recognized the monster within. She abhorred the way he looked at her. His long, leering stares. The way he licked his lips and smiled at her when he caught her staring at him, trying to figure him out, made her sick. He gave her too many compliments on her clothing, her hair, and her lipstick for them to be sincere.

He seemed to sense that she would be an easy target. She was a poor little orphan, on her own for three years and in desperate need of attention. Her eighteenth birthday near and about to transition from high school into 'real' life, she required kind words and a guiding hand. He thought she would fall for anything in this confusing, overwhelming time in her life.

Although they were gone, the influence of her loving family remained. Her granny and mama raised her better than to fall for a pretty face and prettier words that tickled the ego. Her father was a good man. She knew what to look for, what really made a good man. Mr. John Smith (even his name sounded too mundane and too benign to be real) was definitely NOT a good man.

In retaliation for his prolific unwanted attention, Melina purposely misused chemicals creating explosions and fires. Due to her father's teaching, she knew how far she could go without hurting herself or others.

She also rigged Mr. Smith's desk with booby traps, always leaving some type of clue that pointed him in her direction as the culprit. She wanted him to know she had done it so he would get the hint to back the fuck off. He never did. However, getting detention got her out of his class so she was happy to take the punishment. Who the hell was the genius who decided taking delinquents out of their classes to serve detention was a the best course of action?

The malicious pranks ranged from the old standby of tacks on the seat to smoke bombs that would go off when he opened his drawers. One time she even managed to construct a small device that would shoot out push pins when he hit a certain pressure point under his desk. She almost got expelled and barely escaped another overnight stay in jail for that one. However, Mr. Smith refused to press charges - how nice of him.

Two girls in her class disappeared: one just after Christmas and the other during Spring Break. As the end of the school year and graduation approached, he became desperate. He had to have her. His desperation would be his undoing.

One day while the class was busy performing a lab which involved preparing slides and studying them under the microscope, Mr. Smith drugged her by giving her an injection in the middle of the class. She thought a bug had bitten her until the dizziness and nausea began. No one saw him slip the needle into her arm either because they were too busy staring into their microscopes or smearing slides. When she became too weak to stand and violently ill, he took her to the nurse's office.

"I'll be back for you later," he promised her right in front of the nurse. No one suspected a thing.

Under the premise of being a good Samaritan, taking care of the poor sickly orphan who had no one else to rely on, Mr. Smith volunteered to take her home at the end of the day.

"Oh, you are an absolute angel," the nurse declared.

 _Yes, an angel of death_ , Melina had thought to herself not yet knowing what he had planned for her but she knew it would not be good.

As soon as he sat her down in the passenger's seat of his sports car, he gave her another injection. It came as no surprise to her that she never made it to her house. He took her to his instead. Mr. Smith carried her upstairs to his bed. There was no need to restrain her because she the second injection had fully kicked in leaving her paralyzed but conscious.

Ever the perfectionist, not one given to the disgusting and profane, Mr. Smith gave her a lengthy sponge bath and even brushed her teeth to clean her to his standards before molesting her. He touched her in ways that made her want to start puking all over again. She wanted to scream, to hit him, kick him, bite him. But she could do none of those things to fend him off.

Her body refused to respond since the drug had frozen every muscle. However, she was painfully aware of every unwanted stroke of his fingers and heard each word coming out of his dirty mouth. Her body and brain were paralyzed but not numb. He wanted her wide awake for every bit of this living nightmare.

"Kiss me," he whispered to her before placing his mouth over hers.

Melina gagged when he forced his tongue into her mouth. So this was her first kiss. A strange honey tasting substance filled her mouth as if she were drooling uncontrollably. Before she could begin choking on the thick liquid, his invading tongue licked the viscous fluid from her tongue and insides of her cheeks. All her body could do in return was tremble.

"Is there anything you would like to say to me, my dear?" he taunted her while he undressed.

Her tongue was thick, clumsy, difficult to move, but it did move. Her cheeks and lips felt swollen like after being deadened at the dentist's office. Finally a pitiful moan escaped her throat followed by a mewling whimper of frustration. As she watched him take off his clothes, her horror and repulsion mounting by the second, at last her mouth cooperated.

"K-kill y-yourself, y-you b-b-bastard," she stuttered, panting for air from the grueling effort of forming those few words.

Then something strange happened. Mr. Smith stood up straight, his eyes dull and lifeless. The expression in his eyes was the epitome of the phrase 'the lights are on but nobody is home.' He left her on the bed and walked to the bathroom.

Grunts and groans from him doing God only knew what reached her ears as she struggled to make her body move. A final scream, a bone chilling shriek of pure terror and unrivaled pain, frightened her, causing her to jump which was like releasing her from an evil enchantment.

Momentarily too scared to move, Melina lay still, listening to the sinister sound of deafening silence. The only breathing she could hear was her own. Pushing herself up to a sitting position, she waited a few seconds before tentatively standing only to fall to her knees. She crawled toward the open bathroom door. Half way across the room, she could see the edge of a dark maroon blood puddle on the floor oozing toward the light tan bedroom carpet.

The blood appeared too dark to be real, and her mind tried to convince her it was fake. Although still several feet from the door, she could see half of his body, an arm and a leg. There was movement. His usually sun bronzed skin had turned an ash white in death. Blood, so much blood. She didn't want to see anymore so she closed her eyes and turned away.

Crawling back to the table beside the bed, Melina grabbed his cell phone and called 911. Despite the impairment of her thick tongue and muddled mind, she somehow managed to tell the dispatcher she had been kidnapped and gave them the general vicinity of her dead teacher's house since she did know the address.

Melina was taken to the hospital. She was never accused of a crime but had to describe her entire ordeal in great detail several times which was a crime in itself being forced to relieve the incident over and over.

Later, she found out the bodies of the two missing girls were discovered inside old-fashioned steamer trunks in the attic of Mr. Smith's house. There was a third empty trunk undoubtedly meant for her. Upon further investigation, the classroom skeleton Mr. Smith had affectionately called Maggie was examined, tested, and proved to be the actual bones of his ex-wife Margaret.

"Hello? Hello!" a voice called, pulling her back to the present.

Melina blinked, focusing on the face of the person standing in front of her desk. A girl about her size, maybe a little shorter, with pink hair and massive breasts stood across the station from her. Wearing an orange jumpsuit tied at the waist and a black tank top, the student sported a huge pair of goggles on top of her head as if they were a hair accessory.

"You must be the new science teacher. I'm Mei Hatsume," she said, her voice loud and overly cheerful. She stuck out her hand covered in a heavy leather glove.

"I'm Melina Zusa," she returned, shaking the girl's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Zusa. I hear you're bringing in bees and an entire garden. I would like to see them."

"Sure thing. That would be great."

Melina felt exhausted, drained. Her insides shook like gelatin during an earthquake from the impromptu trip down bad memory lane. She just wanted to be alone, but she forced herself to be kind to the girl who had no idea what had been going through her head previously.

"I invent things. I work in hero support. I make all sorts of inventions to help heroes. Would you like to come see my lab?" Mei inquired exuberantly. Her greenish gold eyes appeared to have cross-hairs across the irises and sparkled when mentioning her lab.

"Maybe another day. I'm afraid I need to go to prepare things for the move," she said giving the most valid excuse she could for leaving quickly. "It was so nice meeting you, Mei. I look forward to exploring your lab. I might need your help with repairing something."

Melina believed the girl would be the perfect person to fix her broken mask with the bullet still lodged in it.

"Really?!" the girl brightened as if her personality wasn't already blinding enough.

"Really," she reiterated giving her the first genuine smile she could muster today.

"It was nice meeting you too, Miss Zusa," the girl called over her shoulder as she headed for the door. "I have things to do. Always new things to discover! Come by the lab anytime!"

"I will definitely come by as soon as possible." She realized that was a vague promise but it was the best she could do at the moment.

She liked the girl's energy. Mei possessed a unique enthusiasm, a zest for life and zeal for her mechanical talents.

The visit from Mei made her feel reinvigorated after her emotionally exhausting recollection of an event she never wanted to remember. The past never left her no matter how much she thought she had forgotten or how far she ran to separate herself from it. No matter how deeply she buried the memories, the ghosts emerged to haunt her.

"Dammit," she grumbled, sliding from the stool.

"Are you okay?" Shoto asked her, startling her.

Melina jumped like a nervous cat. She swayed unsteadily on her feet, overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. Strong arms, one around her waist and the other around her shoulders, held her upright a few seconds before pulling her close to his warm body.

"You're not okay so don't tell me you are," he said, his mouth close to her ear.

"No, I'm not okay," she admitted, clutching the lapels of his uniform jacket in her hands. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"You might have hit your head harder than you thought. I can take you to see the school nurse, Recovery Girl." His arms reluctantly unwound from around her when she stood up straight and tall.

"No, I just want to go home. I have a lot to do. It looks like I'm moving in...to the classroom and the dorm."

"Oh, really?" His voice rose a whole octave.

"Yeah, it caught me by surprise too. I didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No. I'm good. I think I might take a cab though."

"I'll walk you to the gate at least."

Shoto did not attempt to hold her hand or arm to escort her like he usually did. Her already gloomy mood darkened further when profound disappointment was added to the list of emotions tearing at her psyche. Neither one of them said a word as they walked. Melina could almost see the barrier going up between them. Reaching out, she took hold of his sleeve and pulled him to a stop.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What are you not telling me, Melina?" he murmured without turning to look at her. "A lie of omission is still a lie."

"I don't want to lie to you," she said choosing her words carefully so they would still be truthful. She did not want to lie to him, but she could not say she had never lied to him.

"Are you sure about that?" he questioned her, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "I know you're not telling me the truth about what happened to your face."

Melina watched the muscles in his jaw working under his skin, writhing as he clenched and unclenched his teeth - most likely in an effort to restrain himself from saying hateful things they would both regret.

"Would you believe me if I told you I can't tell you what happened because if you knew it might change your opinion of me?" she inquired, enclosing his wrist with her fingers.

"That I can believe."

"I can't handle losing you. I need you in my life."

She couldn't bear to lose him and Dabi both simultaneously. Even she had a breaking point which seemed to be coming closer every damn day.

"What are you involved in? Are you in some kind of trouble?" At last he turned his head to look at her. His eyes roved over her entire face as if he could find the answer, the truth, there somewhere.

"Yeah. I'm in some major kind of serious trouble," she answered honestly but ambiguously.

She recoiled from him when his other hand moved swiftly toward her face. Had she really expected him to hit her? Her automatic reaction stunned her as much as it did him. His fingers curled away from her, his hand dropping back down to hang limply at his side.

"I would never hurt you," he mumbled, his eyes lowering from hers.

"I know that. I'm sorry," she apologized for her overreaction.

"So...who did that to you?"

Melina shook her head. She couldn't tell him. Averting her eyes, she stared at her toenails painted bright magenta and visible in her peep toe heels of the same color.

Her eyes followed his hand that cautiously and slowly rose from his side toward her face again in the way one would approach a skittish, injured animal. Her teeth caught her lower lip to hold back a yelp when his fingers gently brushed across the incredibly tender deep tissue bruise that throbbed with each beat of her runaway heart.

"Does it hurt?" he questioned her.

"Yes."

"Will you at least tell me what happened?"

"I was shot in the face," she admitted. "But I was wearing a mask. Otherwise, I'd probably be dead."

 _A lie of omission is still a lie_. So she lied. She purposely withheld the information regarding her attack on the League of Villains and Dabi's presence which ultimately saved her.

"You should move into the dorms as soon as possible," Shoto suggested. "We can all protect you there."

"But none of you owe me anything. I'll put you all in danger," Melina said, raising her head to look at him.

"We're already in danger by virtue of who we are as heroes. We've already been attacked here once by the League of Villains," he told her.

Melina flinched as the last three words grated harshly across her raw emotions. Dammit! She betrayed herself with a small, involuntary reaction. She hated what a high strung coward she had become.

"Hmmm, wow...so the League of Villians, huh?" he said. "I won't ask why or how or who or any of the hundreds of questions flooding my mind. It doesn't matter. When you make enemies, you do it big, my friend."

His face remained passive, giving her no indication of what he was thinking. She wished he would glare at her, yell at her, push her out of the gate and tell her not to come back...do something or say anything that would give her a hint as to what he was thinking.

"I'll be going then," she announced.

Rotating on her stacked heel, her flowery skirt swirling around her legs, Melina prepared to leave and never return to the school. She couldn't and wouldn't drag them into the mess she created. As he had said, they had enough crap of their own to deal with simply by aspiring to become professional heroes.

Her hand shook as she reached for the latch on the gate, flipping it open. The gate swung open, and she stepped through. As she turned back to close it, a strong hand covered hers gripping the bar.

"Don't go," Shoto pleaded with her.

"I have to," she argued, trying to extract her hand from under his. "Do you want me to come back?"

"You better come back," he said, giving her a smile that relayed his worry as well as his warm sentiment for her.

"I'll come back." Her eyes met his questioningly since he would not release her hand resting on the gate. "I promise."

Only after she promised did Shoto lift his hand, allowing her to escape. He closed the gate behind her.

Melina nodded at him, bowing in a gesture both begging his forgiveness and showing gratitude for his understanding. Turning her back to him, she sucked in a deep breath to fill her starving lungs. She must have forgotten to breath for the duration of that encounter.

"By the way," he called after her as she began to walk away.

She looked back over her shoulder at him.

"I'm glad you're still alive," Shoto told her, his smile widening then fading away slightly as he grew serious. "I want to keep you that way." 

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stood in her kitchen, staring blankly at the contents of the open cabinet. She was supposed to be wrapping and packing everything for the move, yet she had no idea where to begin. Instead her mind kept drifting away to places she didn't want it to go. A respite from the past and a refuge from her present could not be found. Would she ever find peace by any means other than death?

Suicide wasn't a thought in her head. However, letting go of her last shred of sanity was becoming more and more tempting. Just one little step off that precariously small edge of sanity she walked, and she would fall into the chasm of insanity.

If she lost it, she wanted to be the special, certifiable kind of crazy. She wanted to be completely unaware of who she is and where she is at all times. She wanted to spend her days walking around in a pink fuzzy bathrobe, wearing a plastic crown on her head and bunny slippers on her feet, shouting "I'm the queen of England." Yeah. That kind of crazy.

Melina had dressed in a pair of pajama shorts covered in pastel rainbows and unicorns and a pastel rainbow tie dyed tank top. She had never at any point in her life been a rainbows and unicorns kind of girl but life had been weird lately so she continued the weirdness in her choice of clothing. Crazy was so close she could feel it.

Giving up on packing for the night, she instead took down two wine glasses and poured herself a glass of wine. Maybe for tonight, peace could be found at the bottom of a bottle. While taking a sip, out of the corner of her eye she saw something move at her bedroom door.

A Dabi shaped shadow emerged from her bedroom into the living room. For once she was not scared out of her gourd by him because she had been anticipating his visit. The white moonlight entering the room from the windows without curtains and shades behind him outlined his long and lanky silhouette in silver.

"Expecting company?" he asked, walking toward her.

"I was looking forward to the love of my life coming to visit," she said, filling the second glass.

"Special occasion?" He picked up the glass she had poured for him.

"No special occasion," she sighed, taking a sip from her glass. "Sometimes life just calls for a bottle of wine."

"Bad day?" He placed his hands on her cheek gently turning her head so he could examine the bruise in the dim light coming from the fixture over the sink.

"I've been having a lot of those lately." She closed her eyes in anticipation of his tender kiss on her lips. Her lips tingled from the mixture of the wine and the brief contact of his mouth to hers.

"How's your face?"

"Sore. Achy. All things considered, not too bad." She placed her glass on the counter-top and put her arms around his narrow waist to hug him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. I need you."

"I had to make sure you were all right," he murmured, forfeiting his glass in order to embrace her with both arms. He kissed the top of her head. "I was worried about you. I had to come see you. I never when I'll be able to see you again. Especially now."

A twinge of guilt tickled the inside of her nervous belly. She had really screwed things up this time with her quick temper and ridiculous sense of personal justice which amounted to asinine revenge.

"There's something I need to tell you...Dabi, I took a job at the school Shoto attends," she blurted, rushing head on in a jumble of words. If she had paused for him to say something between, she might not have been able to say the words.

Melina pressed her forehead against his sternum so she would not have to see the disappointment on his face. All of her recent actions seemed to be pushing them further and further apart.

"Well, isn't that an interesting new develop in our little drama," he sighed, his arms tightening around her and pulling her more securely against him.

"They offered me a job as a science teacher. I'm really excited that I'll be teaching. I didn't expect something like this. It's nothing I sought after. I - "

"I'm happy for you," he interrupted her, embracing her so tightly she could barely breathe.

He didn't sound happy at all. She began to wonder if he was going to kill her by hugging her to death. Might as well continue full speed ahead with the other big revelation.

"I'll be moving onto campus soon to live in the dorms with the kids."

She felt his entire body wince as if she had struck him physically with an object.

"Okay then that little tidbit of information is a little more difficult to process." He sighed, continuing to hold her in his arms.

Melina would prefer to stay like this forever; close to him and secure in his arms. But soon he would have to let her go. Hopefully only physically. Yet...

"It won't be long before the organization is up and running full speed again. Since you're the one who blew it all to hell for a second time, Shigaraki won't waste any time in coming after you," he warned her, loosening his grip on her a little so she could breathe. "Honestly, I think for your own safety, the best place you can be right now in the middle of all of those heroes. Those idiots will protect you until they take their dying breath."

Dabi kissed the top of her head then her lips after she looked up at him.

"I love you," he said. "If things were different, right about now I'd pledge my undying love to you. I'd swear like some lovesick dumbass to take care of you and protect you, to always be there for you. Then..." He kissed her forehead. "I'd ask you to marry me."

"Hmmm," she hummed, placing her ear against his chest to hear his heart beating.

The rhythm was fast. He was nervous making such an admission. His sweet confession made her die on the inside just a little. His intention was not to hurt her with his heart rending love confession, but her heart ached as if he had stabbed her with a knife. The damn stubborn thing had the nerve to keep on beating inside of her chest anyway.

"If things were different...I'd say yes and tell you how much I loved you while I cry and cry and..." Her words were drowned in the tears she was holding back.

"Come with me," Dabi said, taking her by the hand to lead her into the bedroom.

Melina watched as he pulled back the covers and motioned for her to get into the bed. After scooting under the sheet and blanket, her eyes followed his movements as he shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his shoes before climbing into the bed with her. She turned onto her side away from him, fitting her body to his which he folded around her. His chin rested on the top of her head and the soles of her feet pressed against his cloth covered shins to keep as much of her body in contact with his as possible.

"Dabi, there's something I need to tell you," she said.

"Oh, god, what now?" he moaned, his chin lightly bumping the top of her head as he spoke.

"You're going to like this. I promise." After a deep breath, she declared, "I love you, Dabi."

"Do you?" he asked like a true cynic.

"I do," she replied confidently.

"Say it again," he requested.

"I love you, Dabi," she repeated.

"Swear to me, you'll survive this."

"Seriously?"

"You have to swear it, Melina." His entire body coiled more securely around hers.

"I swear I'll survive this."

"You better. I'll be so mad at you if you die. You have to do whatever it takes to live. Even if it means hiding among the heroes," he said, his arm hooking around her waist. "I don't care if it means losing to the good guys."

Melina could not help but contemplate if he meant one specific good guy.

"Dabi, you're not losing me to anyone," she responded, the words tumbling from her lips rapidly. "And you're the best guy I know. I love you."

She placed her hand over his that was pressed flat against her belly. Her fingers weaved themselves between his to clutch his hand.

"There might come a time where I have to give you up completely. To never see you again," he murmured.

"Dabi, please - "

"We have to face facts at some point, Melina. I can't stand the thought of never seeing you again, but...If giving you up keeps you safe and alive, I'll do it."

"Don't talk like that. Stop. Just stop it," she begged, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I don't like it either. I don't want to think about it anymore so let's don't. I just want to be with you right now."

"Will you stay with me? All night?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"For tonight, I'm yours," he returned. "I can't promise you anything beyond tonight."

"I'll take tonight."


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks so much to bbymojo, ughbarnes, and Terrence Johnny Stanford for your feedback. It means a lot that you take the time to send me your thoughts.

Thank you to my faithful readers. Here's another chapter for you. Hope you like it. Please send a review or PM. Don't be shy.

* * *

Melina awakened around six, alone, which unfortunately was not unexpected. Rolling over onto the side of the bed where Dabi had slept, she hugged the pillow to her body inhaling his scent from the fabric. He possessed a specific and unique scent that was something akin to the unusual mixture of the smell after a match is blown out combined with the fragrance of pine trees.

Allowing herself only a few minutes to wallow in his scent and her own sadness from missing him, she forced herself out of the bed to get her day started. She dressed in jeans and a buttery yellow t-shirt. Twisting her tangled hair into a bun, she started the tedious and time consuming process of covering up the bruise dominating her face.

While coffee brewed, she began packing up her equipment required for honey processing and make up manufacturing. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, she glanced around and sighed dejectedly. Although looking forward to the prospect of taking on a new and exciting challenge in her life, she could not shake the feeling that she was losing something important as well; not just Dabi but another part of herself.

Evolving into a different person was inevitable due to the rapid and confounding changes in her life. She was becoming someone she didn't recognize. Therefore, she did not know yet if she liked that new person.

Just as Melina was about to take her first sip of coffee, the intercom buzzed. Glancing at the green numbers on the clock on the stove, she saw that it was barely after eight. Soon she would be starting class at this time. It was going to take some time to get accustomed to this new life as a teacher. Changes of all kinds, big and small. Mornings were not her thing but they about to become her thing whether she liked it or not.

Ignoring the intercom, she took a sip of the tongue scalding coffee. The damn intercom continued to buzz, demanding her attention. Walking over to it, still sipping at her coffee, she pressed the button.

"There's a bunch of kids and a really grumpy guy here to see you," Yamada announced.

 _Oh, great! Shota Aizawa_ , she thought to herself, rolling her eyes and groaning. It was too early to face him, especially since she had not yet had her first full cup of coffee.

"Is it Halloween?" she asked, taking another leisurely sip.

"Wha-ah...uh, no ma'am," replied the flustered security guard.

"April Fool's Day?" she persisted in an effort to stall for time.

"No. Tell me what to do ma'am. Or I'll continue to press the call button," he threatened. He was having none of her bullshit this morning.

 _Dammit!_ She finished her coffee in one big, loud gulp.

"Send them up."

Melina poured herself a second cup of coffee. As she was sliding her bare feet into her tennis shoes, someone knocked on the door.

"We're here," Aizawa announced in his monotone rife with ennui.

"I'm positively thrilled to see you too, Mr. Aizawa," she greeted him with sarcasm, lifting her cup to her lips.

"Morning, Miss Zusa," the class virtually sang out in unison.

 _Well, that was adorable._ A sincere smile turned up the corners of her lips.

"Good morning, everyone," she returned, keeping a death grip on her coffee cup with both hands as she made her way through the students toward the door that opened to the stairs leading to the roof.

Shoto was standing at the door waiting for her.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked her, opening the door for her.

"I'm alive," she answered, her smile broadening when their eyes met.

"That's a good thing," he rejoined, returning her smile.

Melina patted his shoulder as she passed him to go up the stairs. Once everyone gathered on the roof, she made a general announcement.

"Okay, kids, listen up...All of the flowers and plants need to be put into those crates. Be sure to place the bottom of the pots flat into the crate, and don't pack them in too tightly. That will prevent big messes from spilling soil or breaking pots."

Next she designated a group to take apart the shed and another to disassemble the greenhouse. She observed the students, offering assistance or suggestions when necessary as they methodically transferred everything downstairs to the box truck waiting out front. Several pots of flowers and a flowering shrub were left behind near the apiary to keep the surroundings somewhat familiar for the bees.

"This is going to take less time than I thought. These kids are amazing," she remarked as the last pieces of the shed were carried away.

"Yes, they are," Aizawa agreed, his voice lifting with pride. "What about the beehive?"

"It should be moved after dark. All of the bees will be in the hive then, and they will go somewhat dormant. I'll need three strong students to help move it," she said, glancing around for suitable candidates. "What about those two?"

She nodded toward the one called Bakugo and the green haired boy he was speaking to at the moment. Bakugo appeared to fussing at the poor boy who quietly stood there and took the chastisement without saying a word.

"Bakugo and Midoriya? They should be good. Both are strong. Although Bakugo has a quick temper, he can remain calm and quiet for a short time. Midoriya thinks too much, but he's reliable. He analyzes everything," he said.

"Midoriya," she mumbled to herself.

Melina knew that name. She had heard it tossed about quite a bit at the bar. Bakugo's was also recognizable - and not only from her few but memorable interactions with him at the school. He was the one the villains had kidnapped and tried to convert to their side. The boy had flatly refused. He had principles and stuck by them, remaining loyal to his companions and mostly himself. She admired him for that.

She overheard a conversation between Shigaraki and Dabi one night that involved another abduction plot, but this time the victim would be Midoriya. Shigaraki suggested they use her and her mind control quirk to force him into becoming a member of the Villain's League. Dabi quickly shot the plan down by reminding Shigaraki that her mind control is only temporary, the effects fading after a few hours.

"What about the third student to help?" Aizawa questioned her. "I assume you want Shoto Todoroki. You seem to be quite fond of him."

"I am," she admitted, feeling her face warm with a blush. She hoped he couldn't see it under her heavy make up.

"Be careful, Miss Zusa," he said, his voice taking on a serious warning tone. "I won't have you putting my students in danger - of any kind."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, offended by his implication.

"Miss Zusa, everything is loaded up and ready go," Shoto informed her, jogging over.

His timing was impeccable. Both people stared at him briefly, then their attention shifted back to each other and their conversation.

"We should go to the school and unload everything. Get the shed and greenhouse set up. It will be close to sunset by the time that's done. Then we can move the bees with a minimum of stress and confusion to them," she said.

"Is that everything to be moved now?" Aizawa asked.

"There's a few boxes in my apartment," she replied. "They will be going in the classroom."

"Bakugo! Midoriya!" the teacher called out.

The boys trotted over after being called. Midoriya wore a kind smile on his face while Bakugo's face bore his usual scowl. Shoto kept his expression neutral as he awaited his next assignment.

"Please assist, Miss Zusa with a few more things. Oh, and you'll also be helping move the beehive this evening," he told them before walking away to herd the rest of the class down to the truck.

"Deku, are you up for all of this heavy lifting?" Bakugo asked him. "I don't want you doing something stupid and hurt yourself."

"I'm fine Kacchan," he assured him. "I only have to avoid impact hits, like landing a punch, that could damage the bones in my arms. I'm still strong. I can lift things, you know."

Melina smiled at the affectionate and caring exchange between the two boys. She would never have guessed the grumpy dandelion had that kind of emotional depth to him.

"Come on guys," she said, beckoning them to follow her. She led them into her apartment which opened to the kitchen. "Be careful. There's lots of breakable items in these boxes."

"I heard you're moving into the dorms. Is that true?" Bakugo questioned her, picking up the largest box.

"Yep," she answered, glimpsing around her apartment. "I'm going to miss this place."

"It is a very nice apartment, Miss Zusa," Midoriya commented, picking up the box full of containers for the cosmetics. "But I'm glad you're coming to the dorms."

"Guess we'll be back to move the rest of your crap by the end of the week," Bakugo muttered, walking out of the apartment.

Melina shook her head and rolled her eyes. One word came to mind for him: incorrigible. After Shoto picked up the third box and left, she closed and locked the door to follow him. Bakugo and Midoriya had already taken the elevator down leaving the two of them to wait in the hallway for it to return.

"Are you okay?" Shoto asked her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just...changes are hard, you know. Even when you want them, they're difficult," she sighed.

"But I'll be here to help you," he said, facing the elevator doors as they parted. "Every step of the way."

"Thanks."

 _I'm going to need you, Shoto_ , she thought to herself. _More than you know...and probably more than I should._

~\\..'../~

* * *

Since it was close to lunch by the time they unloaded everything and hauled it up to the school building rooftop, Melina bought everyone food and drinks from the cafeteria. Enlisting the help of her three trusted sidekicks, they brought everything to the roof.

All of the students sat around talking and eating, taking the time to get to know their new teacher a little. They asked the typical _safe_ questions such as where was she from and how did she get into beekeeping. She told them about her parents who inspired her love of teaching and science but refrained from mentioning they were dead. The boys groaned when the girls started asking questions about cosmetics.

"What's your quirk?" asked Kaminari, picking up a third curry bun from the dwindling pile of food.

Melina stared at the black streak shaped like a lightning bolt in his yellow hair. Shoto, who had sat beside her on the fake grass they rolled out, suddenly showed a deep interest in the conversation. In that moment she realized she had never told him about her quirk. He had never asked so she did not offer up the information. Her quirk never seemed to matter to him - which she liked.

Explaining her ability always brought her severe discomfort and embarrassment, but even more so considering the ages of her present listeners. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself to bare the entire truth about her power.

"Well, it's a mind control quirk activated by a pheromone in my saliva," she said, prepared to go on but the odd kid with the purple balls for hair interrupted her.

She wasn't sure what to think about this guy, and purposely withheld judgment. Several times during the packing and moving she had caught the bizarre little fellow leering at the girls, staring at their behinds or chests. Once when she was bending over picking up a box, she actually felt his eyes on her. If breasts had eyes, the eye contact would have been intense.

"So you have to kiss the person to use your quirk?" he asked, practically drooling as he spoke.

Melina resisted the urge to say 'ew.' He was still only a kid - even if he was already a raging pervert. She mutely nodded.

"Would you like to try it out on me?" he went on.

"I most definitely would not," she shot back, tossing him a bottle of water. When the bottle smacked him in the face and knocked him backwards onto his butt, she felt zero remorse without a single fuck given. "Drink that. You need to cool off a bit."

Nervous giggles ran through the group of students. Her ability to throw would become legendary and feared at this rate.

Melina stood up to search for Aizawa. He was most likely napping somewhere. She couldn't blame him. A nap sounded like a good idea, but there was still so much to do.

By the time the students reassembled the shed and greenhouse, placing all of the flowers, the sun was setting. The time had come to move the bees. Aizawa suddenly reappeared, ready to leave. On the way back to the apartment building, Melina coached the three boys on how to move the apiary.

The sun had completely set when they exited onto her apartment building rooftop. The strings of lights that had created an illuminating canopy had been taken down and transported to the school already so the only light they had was the two lamps attached to the wall on either side of the rooftop door. They needed to move fast before it got any darker.

A few bees flew in lazy circles around the outside of the hive. A couple more crawled on its white painted wooden surface before disappearing into the box. Melina began humming which prompted the others to land and go inside. She continued to hum to keep them inside and put them in a trance like state to keep everyone, human and bee alike, safe during the transport.

"Amazing," Midoriya exhaled as the last bee wiggled between the frames.

"Now, each of you get on a side, reach under the bottom, and we'll lift at once," she instructed, waiting for everyone to get into position. "One, two, three, lift."

They slowly and carefully lifted straight up, gradually standing from their squatting positions. The boys were strong, the lift smooth. They carried the box at an even height without allowing it to tip to either side. The elevator ride down was the longest ever as they continued to hold the heavy wooden box up in the air. A low, static hum that closely matched hers could be heard from within the apiary.

"So, are you resonating with them, operating on their frequency, to keep them calm?" Midoriya inquired.

"Yes, that's exactly it," she replied.

"Are you acting as their queen in a way?"

"In a way...they do have an actual bee queen since I can't be near them all the time. I suppose when I'm around my influence supersedes hers."

"She's actually _your_ stand in. Interesting," he mumbled to himself. "Did your quirk come from the bees?"

"Yes."

"That means it's more of a mutation than a quirk. Correct?"

"You are absolutely correct, Mr. Midoriya."

"Fascinating," he mumbled under his breath again.

 _Wow, this kid really liked to figure things out by getting into his own head,_ she thought as he continued muttering to himself.

Melina liked the way everything intrigued him. He had been the same way with the flowers and plants, asking her a constant stream of questions as they moved them. Although they weren't in the classroom today, she would say she held her first official teaching session. This had actually been a pretty good 'getting to know you' exercise for all of them. Somehow she doubted Aizawa would let go of his idea to have a 'game day' though.

By the time they returned to the school rooftop, the lights had been strung up according to her specifications to shed light on the entire area. The set up had been arranged as it had been on the apartment rooftop to make the surroundings familiar for the bees. Once the apiary was situated, all four people breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go to the dorm," Shoto suggested once they were done. "You can have a look around."

"I will be moving in soon enough. I can check everything out then. Besides, I should go home. I really need a shower," Melina stated, wrinkling her nose.

"Hey, guys!" Kaminari exclaimed, meeting them on the rooftop. "There's pizza at the dorm. Let's go."

Melina had asked Yamada to call the pizza joint and place the order for the delivery before going up to the roof to move the bees as a surprise for the kids. The students had worked hard and deserved a treat. She was going to miss her friend Yamada as well. She sighed noisily.

"Aren't you hungry?" Shoto asked.

"Not really," she answered, although she was starving.

Thankfully, her stomach did not growl calling her out as a liar. That was the last thing she needed since she already stood on shaky ground with Shoto as far as telling the truth goes. However, she was more tired than hungry and in desperate need of a shower. Her skin felt crusty and gross from layer upon layer of sweat that had dried leaving a thin film of salt over her entire body.

"See you tomorrow, Miss Zusa," Midoriya called behind him as he and Bakugo walked away with Kaminari.

"Nerd," Bakugo grumbled. "Why don't you bring her an apple tomorrow too? Damn suck up."

Once they were gone, Shoto took Melina by the hand making her heart skip a beat. Without exchanging a word, he led her downstairs to the front gate.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow, teacher," he said at the gate.

"Teacher's pet!" yelled someone who sounded very much like Mineta.

Melina chuckled. In the muted yellow light from the sidewalk lamps she could not tell if he blushed or not. He most likely did though.

"I could walk you home," he offered, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

"No, I'll be fine," she assured him, apprehension tightening the muscles of her gut. She _hoped_ she would be fine.

"Okay. Good night then." He lingered at the gate without closing it, his eyes holding onto hers as securely as he had held her hand.

"Good night," she returned, not moving either.

Melina ordered her feet to walk away, but they refused to respond. She held her breath when his eyes lowered to her lips. Her heart beat in her ears like a herd of stampeding horses as his hand cupped her jaw. The silky soft pad of his thumb glided across her lower lip, then the top, following every curve from corner to corner. A tingling sensation remained even after his thumb lifted away from her lips.

"Good night," he whispered, his hand dropping from her face.

Melina watched him walk away. Although his lips never touched hers, she was quite sure based on the intent of desire in his eyes and his touch, she had just received a kiss from him.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Due to having her head under the lightly pounding streams of water, Melina felt rather than heard the click of the shower door. The sound vibrated first through her eardrums then spread like ripples on top of a lake throughout her body. The presence, familiar, welcome, and sneaky as always told her Dabi had arrived. She smiled. His good-byes were never forever. The lack of finality gave her comfort despite hearing the words so often from him.

A soft sigh of happiness pushed past her lips when his big, warm hand cupped her shoulder then slid down her arm. A pleading moan followed when he pressed his naked body to hers, fitting his front side to her back side as best as he could considering the height difference.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered in her ear.

The metal staples on his cheek grazed hers as he spoke, making every muscle in her body seize up at once then release leaving her feeling weak and limp in his arms that encompassed her waist.

"I'm exhausted. A little sore. But okay. Better now that you're here," she added, relishing the sensation of being held in his arms.

"I've missed you," he said, his voice low and sultry. "Miss me?"

"Always," she responded, receiving a kiss on the back of her neck.

"Do you love me?" he inquired, turning her around to face him.

Melina gazed into his beautiful, half closed turquoise eyes.

"More than you know."

"Oh, I know," he assured her, teasing her with the promise of a kiss, his lips coming close to hers but not touching them. "Say it. I need to hear it."

"I love you," she said, the strength and sincerity of the tender emotions making her breathing hitch.

"I love you too."

Melina sighed with joy and contentment when he claimed her mouth. She wondered what it would be like to have the freedom to kiss him deeply...to french kiss him. To experience their tongues intertwining. To revel in probing his mouth with her tongue. The idea of him searching her mouth in return, discovering every intimate little detail, stirred up the heated heaviness of arousal inside of her.

Her arms circled his neck, holding him close as his lips glided away from hers and down to her neck. God, she loved him so much. If only they could be together like normal people. But they weren't normal people and never would be. All they had were stolen moments like this.

Dabi picked her up, pressing her back against the wall as he pushed himself inside of her. The water flowed over his back and down his legs, shielding her from being inundated by the stream. For the first time, they didn't partake in rough, aggressive sex. He made love to her. Which as dumb and romanticized as it sounded, really was a completely different concept with genuine emotions of love involved.

Melina held onto him tightly, her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. She anchored herself to him both physically and emotionally while she could, finding safe harbor by losing herself in him. Her greatest fear would one day be realized when he was gone from her life. But until then...

"Dabi," she whispered in his ear.

"I'm going to turn you around," he warned her before pulling out.

The gentle pressure of his hands on her hips, pushing and pulling her simultaneously to turn her body, brought a certain sense of comfort as she gave control of herself over to him. His hand placed on the back of her thigh, urged her to bend her knees and put them on the wide seat built into the wall. When she leaned forward, he slid into her which pulled a moan from her lips. Obviously this brought her to a more suitable height for him to enter her from behind.

His torso pressed along the length of her back as she flattened her palms against the tile wall to brace herself while he rocked her back and forth with each stroke. His arms formed parallel lines alongside hers, his hands fitting over hers and their fingers lacing together. Connected body and soul, meeting and becoming one. The closeness was almost stifling but deeply desired as well.

Dabi changed his strokes to short, fast thrusts. Folding one arm around her waist to hold her securely, his other hand drifted across her hip and down, sliding between her thighs.

Melina cried out with pleasure when his fingers massaged her throbbing clitoris. Her exclamations of bliss carried above the sound of the rushing water as he worked the sensitive piece of flesh between his fingers. One of her hands gripped his forearm hooked around her waist holding her in place as he made her come by continuing to tease her clit.

She repeatedly moaned his name, orgasmic delight washing over her like the water, while she finished him off with the clenching of her muscular inner walls squeezing him, then milking him dry and drawing everything out of him into her.

"You're amazing," he panted, leaning heavily on her to keep from falling to the floor of the shower stall.

"You're not so bad yourself," she returned with a light chuckle. "Good thing we're already in the shower. Clean up is easy."

"Who knew you could have clean, dirty fun?" he quipped.

They showered together, washing each other's hair, soaping each other's body. Their fingers traced the trails made by bubbles before popping them. Their palms rubbed to wash away any trace of soap. Once the soap was gone, lips and tongues explored clean flesh which led to another session of love making. At last, they emerged from the shower with shriveled fingers and toes, worn out but completely sexually gratified.

"You're not leaving?" Melina asked when he prepared to get into the bed with her.

"Do you want me to leave?" Dabi inquired, hesitating with one leg under the cover and the other out with his foot still on the floor.

"No, of course not," she said, quickly grabbing his arm before he had the chance to change his mind. "I'm glad you're staying again. I just wasn't expecting it. You're spoiling me, you know."

"I'm spoiling myself as well," he confessed, pulling her into his arms with her facing him. "It's only going to hurt more when I have to stay away from you."

"Dabi, I don't want to think about it," she murmured, tucking her head under his chin.

"Me either," he confessed, kissing the top of her head.

"Will you be gone when I wake up?" She pressed her ear to his chest to listen to his beating heart.

"Most likely." His arms tightened around her.

"Will you come see me tomorrow night?"

"I don't know. We'll see. Go to sleep, Melina, and dream of me. At least you'll always have me there."


	16. Chapter 16

Dabi entered the back of the abandoned hotel the League of Villains currently called their headquarters. Exuding a small flame into his palm, he navigated the dark pre-dawn halls stepping over debris and garbage left by previous homeless tenants.

Leaving her had been difficult. Each time it became harder. This morning, in her sleep, she had grabbed his hand, begging him not to go. He kissed her, apologized, feeling sorrier than she could imagine. After getting dressed, he kissed her once more, receiving the cutest sleepy declaration of love in return. Taking those steps toward the window had been painful for both his body and his heart.

A shimmering golden glow eminated from the room down the hall. Dabi gravitated to the light like a moth to a flame, entering the wrecked room full of overturned chairs and dusty tables. Broken glassware and discarded silverware littered the floor. The flickering flames of dozens of candles lit the room.

Passing through the dining area to the bar of the restaurant, he saw Kurogiri behind the bar polishing a perfectly clean glass tumbler. Did that man ever sleep?

"Want a drink?" Kurogiri inquired, unfazed by Dabi's sudden appearance.

"Yeah, I could use one," he answered, taking a seat at the bar.

"How about a bloody Mary?" Kurogiri suggested. "It is breakfast time after all."

"Yeah," Dabi scoffed. "I suppose so."

"You should stay away from her," the portal user warned him, pouring tomato juice into the metal tumbler. "For her sake as well as yours."

"Yeah, I know," he agreed begrudingly. At the moment, he had no intention of staying away from her.

Shigaraki entered the room, pausing in surprise at Dabi's unexpected presence. He shook his head as he took a seat at the bar beside the other man.

"Well, well, well," Shigaraki muttered, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "The prodigal son returns."

"I told you I was out scouting for a better place. It's easier to do it at night because I would definitely draw unwanted attention during the day," Dabi reminded him in a bored monotone.

He studied the drink Kurogiri put in front of him. An entire strip of cooked bacon, pearl onions, and green olives had been threaded onto a long metal skewer like some kind of appetizer rather than a garnish to go with his drink. He really did get breakfast.

"You were with her." Shigaraki was not asking a question. He was stating a fact, and he knew it.

Dabi slid the skewer from the drink. He pressed the tip of his finger to the semi-sharp end. The metal object would make a passable weapon. He could jam it into Shigaraki's carotid artery in his neck then pull it out. Watching the man bleed to death would give him some degree of satisfaction.

He glimpsed at the observant bartender who shook his head slowly as if he knew what was going through Dabi's head. He put the skewer down on the napkin beside the tall glass. Better not act on that impulse because that would set into motion a whole new array of problems.

The biggest of those being he would no longer be in the inner circle of the League of Villains. Staying close to Shigaraki afforded him coveted knowledge of all of their plans. Knowing the next move was the best way he could protect Melina.

"What can I say? She's a fantastic fuck," Dabi said tonelessly, picking up the glass. "If you could touch a woman, you'd know the joy of a good piece of ass."

Shigaraki growled like a rabid dog.

"There's nothing more to it?" Shigaraki snarled, taking an interest in his own drink that Kurogiri set in front of him.

Dabi noted the bubbles coming from the tiny white pill dissolving in the bottom of the glass before it disappeared completely. His eyes slid to Kurogiri giving him a knowing glance. So that's how the crafty bartender kept their boss's out of control emotions at bay, by drugging him.

"Like what?" he rejoined knowing damn good and well what the man was hinting at.

"Hmmm...is it really like that? No feelings at all?" Shigaraki paused dramatically as he was often inclined to do.

"Tch," he hissed. "Hell, no."

Tomura Shigaraki could be such a damn Drama Queen. Dabi rolled his eyes and took another gulp of the salty, spicy alcoholic tomato drink. Kurogiri doubled as quite an impressive bartender.

"In that case, you would be willing to abduct and confine her until we're ready to move forward?" Shigaraki asked him. "It will be your job to bring her under submission."

Dabi hurriedly swallowed the mouthful of drink to avoid choking on it. He couldn't help but notice the unusual choice of words in the last statement.

His heart dropped to his toes, but he remained impassive and emotionless. Any kind of adverse reaction would tip Shigaraki off to his true emotions which was of course was what the man was fishing for with his prying questions and strategic word choice. Before he could ask the inevitable and obvious question of 'why me,' Shigaraki conveniently continued talking to explain why.

"You're the obvious choice because it would be so easy for you. You have access to her. You can get close to her without a fight. Most of all, she trusts you and will allow to take her anywhere or do anything to her. It has to be you."

Dabi picked up the skewer. He could feel Kurogiri's luminous golden eyes on him as he raised the metal stick. However, rather than stabbing Shigaraki, he pushed off the unnecessary food onto the napkin. Using the skewer as a stir stick, he noisily agitated the red, bloody looking liquid inside his glass.

"Tell me your plan, Shigaraki."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stood at the front of the classroom beside the first lab station on the left. Lab coats were stacked in neat piles by size and goggles lined the table in straight rows.

"Good morning, class," she greeted them happily as they entered the classroom in a single file line but as a group.

She received random responses in return from chirpy salutations to mumbled greetings and even a few grunts. It was easy to distinguish the morning people from the ones who were definitely not.

Her students stood against the wall in a line rather taking a seat because they were waiting to be assigned lab partners and specific stations. Also she had items spread across the top of several stations.

"First, you should choose lab partners," she announced, pointing to the station to her right and the two clipboards on it.

No one moved. Bakugo yawned to show his boredom with the whole thing already. Melina rolled her eyes. How rude.

"I suggest you find a way to come to an agreement among yourselves and pick your own partners because you do not want me to pick for you," she warned them.

Suddenly there was a rush on the sign up lists. Scuffling feet along with lots of shoving and laughter ensued. Kids will definitely be kids.

Melina covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile of amusement. It was a bit refreshing to see they didn't always function like robotic, programmed machines and were still just teenagers after all.

"Next, I would like everyone to grab a coat and goggles. These are two of the most important pieces of your lab equipment. They are your personal protective equipment," she proclaimed, moving out of the way before the herd trampled her.

Melina gathered the students around the next station once all of the coats and goggles had been claimed. Two petri dishes, a flask of water, a scalpel, a small pair of surgical tongs, and what looked like a silver rock in a square glass container were the items on the station. After putting on her thick, yellow gloves, she picked up the scalpel and sliced a small corner off of the rock.

"Put on your goggles," she ordered her students. "Safety first, my heroes."

"What is that?" Izuku asked.

"This is sodium. It is, in fact, a metal," she explained. Using the tongs, she held up the chunk that appeared to be plain silver instead of sodium. "This is half of the chemical compound that makes up table salt which we put on our food everyday. Sodium and chlorine by themselves are caustic and poisonous. But together they make something delicious."

"Caustic and poisonous but delicious," Kyoka Jiro mused, fiddling with her elongated earlobe. "Sounds like Bakugo. He's definitely salty."

Melina snorted like a pig in her unsuccessful attempt to hide her laughter. All of the girls giggled uncontrollably. The boys chuckled nervously not wanting to face Bakugo's wrath later.

"Hey!" Bakugo barked in offense. "Shut the hell up!"

"Bakugo, there was a compliment mixed up in there," Momo Yaoyorozu brought to his attention.

"Wow, really?" Kaminari murmured. "I missed that."

"Shut up, Pikachu," Bakugo snapped at him.

"All right, everyone, please pay attention. You might want to back up a little," she warned all of them, pushing back Shoto who stood to her right. "Sodium in this form, when mixed with water..."

She poured a tiny bit of water from the flask onto the sodium metal. The liquid set off the chemical reaction instantly. The piece of metal fizzed and released white smoke as it skated around on the surface of the water. The kids' reactions ranged from gasps to exclamations of 'whoa!'

"...is quite volatile," she finished her sentence.

"Like Bakugo," Tsyua, the one called Sue, added.

Melina didn't expect her to be so sassy. She loved these girls. They were having none of the boys' crap, especially Bakugo's. She almost felt sorry for him at the moment. These young ladies were beautiful, strong, and smart mouthed; all attributes she exhibited herself.

"Back up a little more," she told her students, cutting off a bigger piece of the metal.

Tossing it into the petri dish, she dropped the tongs on the table top and stepped back quickly. The chunk hissed and sputtered, emitting a spark then a small flame in addition to the smoke as it almost exploded out of the dish. The piece of metal raced around and around the edges of the dish, sparking, flaming, and smoking as it went. This had been one of her favorite flammable experiments in school.

"Due to the chemical reaction with the water, the sodium metal is releasing hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable...and explosive as you can see."

As if on cue, the piece of metal shot out of the dish, propelled by an explosive reaction like fuel pushing a rocket. The chunk hit the wall, burying itself slightly into the thin wood. A flame shot out so Shoto hit it with a blast of ice before the wall could catch fire.

"Nice save. Thanks," she breathed in relief.

"That's what heroes do," he said, giving her only the suggestion of a smile. When in direct proximity to others, he kept his reactions around her stifled and low key.

"That was so cool!" exclaimed Toru Hagakure.

Melina smiled in the direction of the floating goggles. Thank God the girl wore a school uniform to make her presence known. She would feel like a horrible teacher ignoring a student simply because she had the quirk of invisibility.

"Now, on to a delicious but only slightly less dangerous experiment," Melina announced, waving them to the next station.

On this station she had set up a large ice filled bowl to keep the ingredients for the next experiment cool. Cartons of cream and milk, cans of whipped cream, and various types of fruit sat in smaller bowls on the ice. There was also sugar and honey to be used as sweeteners, vanilla extract for flavoring, and bottles of chocolate, caramel, and strawberry syrups for toppings. There were jars and bowls of sprinkles, nuts, cherries, and pretty much anything a person might want on an ice cream sundae. A large metal canister that looked like an old-fashioned milk can sat in the middle of the table.

"Ice cream!" Rikido Sato, the aficionado of sweets, exclaimed.

"Everyone grab a bowl," she told them. "Choose your ingredients. Here are the measurements to get you started."

Melina pointed to the whiteboard where she had written the measurements for the ice cream base before their arrival. While the students were busy measuring and mixing, she took a bowl of her own, tossing in a few strawberries and blueberries.

"I'm going to show you something, but I don't want any of you doing this. You could burn yourself or, worse yet, your tongue. I don't think anyone wants to make a visit to recovery girl and explain a severe burn on their tongue," Melina said, ladling liquid nitrogen from the tank.

White smoke billowed out of the bowl like a cloud as the liquid evaporated. She blew away the remaining smoke to reveal the completely frozen berries. Popping one of the strawberries in her mouth, she blew out white smoke through her nose.

"You look like a dragon," laughed Hanta Sero.

The blond boy with a tail, Mashirao Ojiro, appeared to be embarrassed for Hanta as his face turned pink. Melina realized she hadn't heard him speak yet except for his quiet reply of good morning first thing.

"Is everybody ready?" she asked, chewing on the still half frozen strawberry.

She handed the bowl to Ojiro for him to take one of the berries if he wished. When everyone answered affirmatively, she started ladling the liquid nitrogen into their bowls as they held them out to her.

"You know, Icy-Hot over there could freeze these for us," Bakugo said brusquely as she poured the super cooled fluid into his bowl.

"I know, but where's the fun in that? Also, you can't learn science by using a quirk, you know," she retorted. "Stir quickly so you don't have crunchy ice cream. Although back in the U.S., they made quite a big business of freezing ice cream into teeny tiny little balls."

Several of the boys giggled at her saying teeny tiny little balls.

"But nobody _really_ wants those, do they?" she asked, looking directly at Mineta. She actually made the little pervert blush which had to be quite an epic accomplishment.

Once the freezing process was done, everyone gathered around the table to add toppings to their ice cream. They laughed and talked, offering flavoring suggestions to each other as they passed around the toppings.

Melina stood back, munching her frozen berries as she observed the students. She liked the way they operated as a team, a family really, cooperating, helping each other, and having fun while doing it.

"Hey," a voice heralded her from the door.

She turned around to see Aizawa standing there. Waving her hand, she beckoned him to come in. They stood toward the back of the classroom, observing the students.

"How are things going?" he asked her, his voice low to keep the conversation between them.

"Really good. Frozen berry?" she inquired, extending the bowl to him.

"No, I'm good," he politely declined.

"Would you like some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" He appeared disgusted.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Mina exclaimed, coming over with a bowl. "I made this for you."

Melina glimpsed at him, her eyebrow raising up toward her hairline.

"Now you can't say no," she said.

He wasn't that heartless. Melina could tell he genuinely cares for these kids. His sincere concern for them had become obvious yesterday during the move. He hovered over them, making sure they were completing their tasks correctly and safely.

Also, the protective, fatherly way he threatened her when he wrongly assumed there might be some nefarious acts going on between her and Shoto evidenced his love for the children. She understood his parental protectiveness. The same feelings were beginning to grow in her.

"I'm not really fond of sweets," he told Mina whose smile drooped in disappointment.

"Oh, I used honey to sweeten it. It's not terribly sweet," Mina informed him.

 _Kinda like Aizawa_ , Melina wanted to quip but kept her smart alack words to herself.

"The honey is from my bees," she proclaimed proudly. "It's naturally sweetened. Come on, just take a taste. One of your students cared enough to make it for you."

Aizawa glared at her. She shrugged with a lopsided grin on her face. She knew it wasn't fair, but he would be all right. It was only ice cream for goodness sake.

"Uh, okay," he muttered, giving in to the pressure to taste the ice cream. He grudgingly shoved a spoonful of the sweet treat into his mouth. His eyes widened, and he went back for another spoonful. "Mmmm, that is good. Thank you, Mina."

"You're not quite the kill joy I thought you were," Melina said after Mina returned to the others.

"I'll do anything to protect these kids."

"I know. You made that quite clear yesterday."

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized. Apparently he assumed she was referring to the threat in reference to Shoto - which she was. "I've seen the way he looks at you. I don't think he's aware how obvious he makes his feelings for you. I was afraid if those feelings were returned - "

"Mr. Aizawa," she interrupted, discomfort and a hint of embarrassment heating her cheeks. "I'm a grown woman. He's still a child. He's also my student." _In addition to all of those wonderful reasons, he's my lover's brother - but you don't need to know that._ "Those factors make him highly off limits. I understand boundaries. He does too for that matter. You have nothing to worry about. If I had to describe our relationship in simple terms I'd say he's a friend. Nothing more."

"That's good," he mumbled around the spoon in his mouth. After finishing off ice cream, he sat the empty dish inside of hers. "Keep up the good work, Miss Zusa. I think you're going to be a fine science teacher. Welcome aboard."

She felt positively giddy as if she had won an award by garnering his approval.

"Thanks," she murmured. When he was gone, she announced with exaggerated cheerfulness, "Okay, kids. When you're done eating, our new experiment is going to be discovering the chemical make up of dish washing liquid and how it works!"

"Awwww," came the collective groan of misery in return at the prospect of having to wash dishes.

"Come on, guys, we've had fun. Now there's a price to pay."

Her mind strayed to Dabi. Yeah. Sometimes there was a huge price to pay for fun. She never meant to fall in love, but she did. The time was coming for her to pay up.

"Hey, are you okay?" Shoto asked her, taking the bowls from her hands.

"Yeah, why?" she inquired, blinking rapidly to push back rising tears.

"You looked like you were going to faint...or throw up," he said, touching her arm.

Melina started as if she had been shot when his hand contacted her bare arm. Suddenly, she did feel faint. As if sensing her distress, Shoto pulled one of the stools over to her, offering her his arm to hold on to as she sat down.

"You sit down and we'll take care of the clean up," he assured her.

"Thanks."

 _What the hell was that all about?_ , she asked herself as she sat on the backless stool fighting the urge to throw up. Something was wrong. She just had no idea how wrong yet.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stopped off at the cafe for dinner before going home. Sitting on the outdoor patio, she watched couples stroll past, walking hand in hand, as she sipped her coffee. She envied them. They had no idea how good they had it being able to display their love openly and honestly.

 _They most likely take their relationship, and each other, for granted_ , she thought bitterly.

Her food arrived, but she wasn't hungry. It wasn't that she minded eating alone, and she could have had company anyway. Shoto would have happily joined her. His company would have been nice; a welcome distraction that would prevent jealousy from saturating her. She always enjoyed his companionship. However, she did not want to give his fellow students or her fellow teachers any more wrong impressions.

Another reason she needed to separate herself from him was because she could love him romantically so easily. But she shouldn't love him like that. The reasons she had listed to Aizawa were good and valid points, all extremely important reasons why she should _not_ love Shoto. He was also Dabi's little brother. Going from one brother to the other would just be...wrong.

Melina ate her dinner and left to go to her empty apartment. However, upon her arrival, she sensed her apartment was definitely not empty.

When she flipped on the overhead kitchen fixture, the bright fluorescent light illuminated Dabi's figure sitting on the couch. She wasn't sure if it was due to exhaustion or if she had finally become accustomed to appearing acts, but his unexpected presence did not frighten her.

For a long moment, they stared at each other, neither one offering a hello. In his brilliant ocean colored eyes she could find no comfort, no love. She could not identify the emotion she saw there. Fear and uncertainty tightened her throat, her heart beating unsteadily. At last she moved, setting her purse down on the counter.

"Why do I have the feeling neither one of us are happy you're here?" she questioned him, staying in her current place standing at the counter.

"Melina, you have to get out of here. You need to leave tonight," he told her, standing up from the couch to cross the room.

"Why? What's going on?" she asked, every nerve in her body standing on edge at once.

"Pack a bag and leave. Don't stay here a minute longer than you have to," he said, taking her by the arm to lead her to her bedroom.

"Dabi, what the hell is happening?" she demanded, shaking herself free of his grip.

"There's no time to explain. Pack a bag and get the hell out of here, Melina!" he exclaimed, snatching her around by the arm to face him.

The ice melted away from his frozen expression allowing the warmer, softer emotion of love mixed with worry to trickle in. His fingers drifted across her cheek before he bent down to kiss her lips.

"Please, pack a bag and go. Go to that damn dorm. At least you'll be safe there. Will you just please do this?" he begged, holding her face between his hands.

"Tell me what's going, then I'll pack and leave," she promised him.

Dabi bit his lower lip, his eyes shifting away from hers. Seeing him like this terrified her. She had never seen him nervous before.

"Can't you just go...please?" he implored her.

"Tell me," she insisted. Her eyes searched his when he remained reticent. "Dabi, what the hell is going on?"

Dabi breathed out noisily through his nose with exasperation, dropping his hands from her face.

"It's over between us, Melina," he announced with a finality that made her shake on the outside because her insides were quaking.

"Well, for now, but one of these days - " She attempted to embrace him, but he pushed her back with his hands on his shoulders.

"I was sent here to kidnap you. This is my final act of kindness toward you to show how much I love you," he said. "Leave. Go anywhere but here. I can't do this anymore. We're over."

"No," she whispered. Tears burned the backs of her eyeballs like fire. "We can find a way. We can get through this. We can -"

"Dammit, Melina, it's over!" he shouted so loudly the volume of his voice startled her.

She stepped back from him, her hand covering her mouth. A pitiful sob escaped her lips despite her trying to hold it back. Tears overflowed her lower eyelid, sliding down her cheeks in rivulets to drip from her chin and jaw. She held her palm tightly over her mouth to prevent anymore sounds of fear or mourning to pass her lips.

"Pack a bag and get the fuck out of here. If you don't, I'll have to do something we'll both regret," he threatened her, his voice taking on a sinister tone.

"Indulge me...please tell me, Dabi...just what will you have to do? You can at least tell me that," she said, raising her chin in the air despite the quiver in her voice that betrayed her emotions.

"I'll do what I've been ordered to do and abduct you. I'll take you to Shigaraki who in turn will deliver you to the hands of All for One. You most likely won't survive that, Melina. I'm giving you a chance to leave and live...or stay and die. The choice is yours."

"Wow...okay," she exhaled. "I'll leave. Give me a minute."

She felt like she was trying to breath underwater or was too stupid to remember she had lungs. A ringing filled her ears and black spots swam in and out of her vision. Her fingers tingled. They were cold and tremulous as they wiped away her tears.

"I guess I really don't have a choice...do I?" she inquired aloud not expecting an answer. Her question had been purely rhetorical.

Melina forced her body to move. The room spun, but she kept moving toward the closet. There was no time to faint. She had to pack. Taking down her suitcases, she haphazardly pulled clothes off their hangers and tossed them inside.

"I wish there was another way," Dabi said, standing at the open door of the closet. "But there's not."

Melina did not say anything. Instead she filled her second suitcase with more clothes and shoes.

"You should go since this is farewell, Dabi," she said, her voice shaking as a steady stream of tears flowed from her eyes.

When his hand touched her shoulder, she inhaled sharply, pulling away from him.

"Just go," she ordered him. "Don't say good-bye because you won't be back. Don't give me false hope."

There was no response. Melina turned around. He was gone. She never thought there would come a day where NOT being told good-bye was more frightening and heart breaking than hearing it. So the end had come.

She wanted to scream and punch something, break things and have a good old-fashioned hissy fit. However, throwing a tantrum like a two year old would not make the pain stop. She needed to think.

While closing her suitcases, Melina decided she would call a moving company tomorrow to finish packing up her life and clearing out her apartment. Surely Shigaraki would not send minions to attack innocent strangers as they loaded up her possessions and hauled them away. She assumed he wanted to keep a low profile, move covertly. He would be cautious to the point of paranoia taking extra precautions to keep his actions and his whereabouts a secret. If he was smart, he could follow the movers to her new location to find her again. She didn't even care what he did or didn't do at this point. All she knew was that she needed to be ready.

Tears continued steadily falling, sliding down her chin and soaking the neckline of her t-shirt. _What's the big deal? You were already going to move, she reminded herself silently. Your plans just got put on fast forwarded. That's all. And you already knew things were going to end with Dabi. That relationship was never going to last. But...but..._

"I loved him," she whispered aloud, giving into the wail that was choking her. "Gotta go. Gotta keep moving. He risked his life to save you. The least you can do is get the hell out of here since he warned you."

"Miss Zusa? Is everything okay?" Yamada asked her when she appeared in the lobby.

"There's been an emergency. I have to leave, Yamada," she informed him, not exactly lying.

"When will you be back?" he inquired, his eyebrows drawing together in concern.

"Uhm...I won't be," she sniffed, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Yamada took a clean white handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. How positively old-fashioned and very Southern. Gentlemen occasionally still did that where she came from. She found the small, familiar gesture comforting. Taking the piece of cloth, she dabbed at her still leaking eyes.

"I'll miss you," she said.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too," he returned, lowering his eyes to the floor. "You are a demanding pain in the ass, but I like you."

Melina giggled again. At least laughing helped the pain in her heart a little no matter how out of place it might be in this moment.

"I-I'll b-be c-calling m-movers t-tomorrow," she stuttered.

"I'm so sorry you're this hurt and scared, Miss Zusa. If there's anything I can do - "

"H-how did you know?"

"Well, because when something is really wrong and you're upset, you stutter."

"Oh, I see." She didn't know what else to say. "I'll call you to let you know when the movers will be coming."

"I'll call you a cab," he offered.

"Thank you. I think I'll wait outside. I need some fresh air."

Melina inhaled deeply as she stepped out of the door, wheeling her two suitcases behind her. Displaced again. On the run. Fighting for her life.

"Why did I come here?" she asked herself aloud.

"I don't know, but I'm glad you did," a male voice answered behind her.

 _NO! NOT NOW! NOT HIM!_ , she screamed internally, closing her eyes and raising her face to the heavens. She silently prayed she was hearing things; that Shoto Todoroki was not actually standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, keeping her voice carefully controlled and her eyes straight ahead. "You shouldn't be here."

"I had the feeling something was wrong. Apparently my gut feeling was not misguided," he added, moving to stand beside her. "Where are you going? Are you leaving?"

"I'm going to a hotel. There's a gas leak in my apartment," she lied fabulously. She was not happy about her new found talent for deception. "Isn't there a curfew or something in the dorms? Shouldn't be in your room studying or sleeping?"

"I have Mr. Aizawa's permission to be here."

Melina cast a doubtful glance at him before immediately looking away again.

"Aizawa allowed you to come out after hours? And to check on me? Somehow I don't think so."

"He's not beyond bending or breaking the rules when necessary."

"What's necessary about this situation? Hmmm?" she pressed, genuinely wanting to get an answer from him.

"Are you running away? Are you ducking out on us?" he demanded, taking her by the arm as if to hold her there.

Melina tugged her arm out of his grip. Being touched by him only made the knife in her heart sink deeper.

"I already told you. I'm going to stay at a hotel because of a gas leak."

Shoto seized her arm. This time he turned her, forcing her to face him.

Didn't this just happen with his brother? History never repeated itself so quickly.

His hand cupped and pushed up her chin to make her look at him.

"I'm telling you I don't believe you," he growled through his clenched teeth. His eyes widened as he examined her face closely in the jaundiced light from the streetlamp. "Oh, my god...that's so much worse than I thought."

 _Shit!_ The excessive tears and wiping them away had rubbed away her make up. Her fingers trembled as they raised to touch her face. Her fingertips were ice cold.

"It's fine," she muttered, her eyes reluctantly meeting his. "It looks worse than it actually is."

"What the hell have you done that someone is trying to kill you?" he demanded to know.

She looked away and tried to extricate herself from him but his fingers tightened around her upper arms with bruising force to hold her captive.

"Why is the League of Villains after you?" He waited for her answer but when none came he jostled her as if to get her attention. "Tell me!"

"Come with me to the hotel, and I'll tell you," she responded.

Melina's head snapped up when his hands dropped from her arms, and Shoto stumbled backwards a few steps.

"Do you want to know everything or not?" she challenged him as he stood gaping at her. "Are you really sure you want to know everything?"

"Y-yeah...I-I think I am," he stammered as the yellow cab pulled up to the curb.

Melina pushed past him, opening the door for herself. Before getting into the car, she fixed her eyes on him.

"Decide on the ride over if you really want to hear all of my truth. It's a horrible, ugly truth. If you change your mind, I'll pay for your ride back to the school."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked her. His apprehension showed in the way he chewed on his lower lip.

To have pretty much never known his older brother, he was an awful lot like him. Apparently he was having second thoughts about learning the whole truth and nothing but the truth despite insisting many times over that he wanted her to be honest with him.

"I think it's a fucking terrible idea," she admitted. "But I suppose it's only fair you know. Then you can make an informed decision on whether you want to waste your time caring about me. If you decide to hate me, well..." Her voice trailed off, and she had to take a few breaths because it felt like she was drowning again. She was in too deep to stop now. "I'll just have to learn to live with that."

"I could never hate you," he argued.

"Oh?" she scoffed. "You might be surprised. I'm about to tell you some things that will make it way too easy."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina came to the conclusion that Shoto Todoroki was the biggest, most stubborn asshole she had met since Dabi. One more thing the estranged brothers had in common.

She closed her eyes, leaning against the mirrored wall of the elevator. If the damn bell boy didn't stop taking sly glimpses at her and Shoto she was going to slap the lecherous smirk right off his face. The front desk clerk had looked at them the same way as she was checking them in. Admittedly, it did look bad. A handsome young man and a pretty older woman checking into a hotel late at night didn't appear exactly innocent and devoid of lascivious motives.

Melina half way expected the glorified luggage carrier in his early twenties to high five Todoroki as he opened the door to the room and dropped off her suitcases. The room the clerk had given her was the same exact one she had stayed in before. The inundation of the memories she had made in here with Dabi made her shiver.

She yelped when she Shoto's arms enclosed her body. Quickly she realized he was only placing a blanket around her shoulders which stilled her rapidly beating heart.

"Hey you!" she called to the hotel porter. "Have room service send up a bottle of wine and several sodas. Do you want anything to eat?" she asked Shoto.

"No," he answered tersely, sitting down on the couch.

"That's all," she told the bell boy who nodded and took his cue to leave. When he was gone, Melina announced, "I'm going to take a shower."

"You're what?!" Shoto exclaimed, his voice rising two octaves.

"Don't get so excited. I didn't ask you to join me," she muttered irritably, opening one of her suitcases to grab her clothes to take in with her.

Melina planned on coming out fully dressed. The thought of parading around in front of him clad in nothing but a towel made her blush. She wasn't here to seduce him. She wasn't sure why the hell she had allowed him to come with her. Perhaps she was just too afraid to be alone.

What had she been thinking by promising to tell him the truth? She could lose him forever. Damn. Nothing like losing both men who meant something to her in one night. That had to be some kind of record for the truly special idiots.

She showered fast, rinsing away the tears and the remnants of her make up to reveal the bruise in all of its ugliness. It was starting to heal, transforming into an even more disgusting bruise with brown and green spots amid the purple and black. The headache beginning in her temples and the tightness in her shoulders prompted her to take two pain pills. She felt like she had been in another fight.

Dressed in her frumpy gray sweatpants and over-sized t-shirt (complete with bra) in an effort to make herself as undesirable as possible to avoid any unintentional misconceptions of seduction, she left the relative safety of the steamy bathroom.

The drinks had arrived during her absence. Shoto was sitting on the couch sipping a soda out of the bottle. He had taken off his jacket and shoes, revealing that he was dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt. Red was a great color for him.

After pouring herself a glass of wine, Melina sat down on the opposite end of the couch from him. They sat in silence without looking at each other while each concentrated on their drink. Once she finished the first glass of wine and poured another, the pain medication was also working which allowed her to relax a little.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," she said, pausing to take a sip of her wine. "Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Yes," he answered confidently and without hesitation.

Melina began her story with receiving the invitation from Kurogiri. Purposely skipping small details like the dog incident with Twice and leaving out bigger points of interest such as her involvement with Dabi, she told him how Shigaraki decided he wanted to take her quirk for himself so she attacked them in retaliation.

"The second time I attacked them - "

"The second time?!" Shoto exclaimed, interrupting her. "Are you crazy?"

"I've been accused of that a time or two. Mustard shot me in the face. I was actually saved by - " She stopped immediately before she said his name. "One of the villains pulled me out of the way. I don't know why," she added quickly before he asked.

"So...were you involved, romantically, with this villain who saved you? Was he the boyfriend who broke your heart?" he inquired, scooting across the couch toward her.

 _GODDAMMIT, SHOTO!_ , she wanted to scream but kept it inside instead.

"Yeah," she confessed without offering him a name. Since Shoto was this fucking smart, he could figure out who her boyfriend was simply by the process of elimination. "Tell me, Sherlock, how do you feel about me now?"

Shoto shrugged, easing closer to her. She detested it when he approached her as if she were a wounded wild animal. However, she did have a tendency to act like one sometimes, lashing out and hurting people who only wanted to help her.

He turned toward her, bending his leg which created a small obstacle between them. When his fingertips contacted her cheek, she winced - not from pain but from his gentle touch which felt really nice.

"I don't hate you. I don't think I could. I know there are still things you're not telling me. I don't care about those things at the moment."

"God," she moaned, tipping up her glass to her lips to empty it. "You shouldn't be so close to me right now. It's dangerous."

"Yeah, I know," he returned, his fingers moving across the bruise. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore," she replied, staring ahead of her at the blank screen of the television.

She inhaled sharply when his hand pressed to her chest over her heart. Thankfully he had placed his hand with his fingers pointed up toward her chin otherwise they would have extended over her breast.

"Shoto, please," she begged. She wanted to run away but there was nowhere she could go. He had her trapped in the corner of the couch, one hand on her face and the other on her heart. "I don't think - "

"Then don't," he abruptly cut her off, moving even closer. His knee pushed into her hip, his shin pressing along the length of her thigh. "You think too much."

"I do," Melina agreed.

She could no longer breathe when his silky lips brushed across her cheek with a pressure so light it was like a downy feather gliding over her skin. A shiver of excitement rushed through her entire body. Every nerve ending stood up and took notice, reacting to his second kiss on her temple by setting her body ablaze as if she had been licked by a flame.

"I just wish you could love me," he whispered in her ear, his lips grazing the outer part of her ear.

"Shoto, you just don't get it do you?" she asked, turning her head so she could see his face.

His eyes were half-closed but clearly focused on her. God, that look reminded her of Dabi. But he wasn't Dabi. He was Shoto Todoroki - a completely different individual, and she needed to see him as such.

Kind, gentle Shoto with the soft voice that coated her rattled nerves like a soothing balm. Presently, his tender touch sparked a lot of feelings she did not want to be feeling. He was too young. She was too heart broken. This couldn't happen now. Some day, if he still wanted her, they could pursue a more intimate relationship - but not this day.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen," he assured her, his dual colored irises latching onto hers. "I won't be the rebound. I can't be that guy. As much as the idea of having sex with you excites me, we can't do this."

Perceptive as usual, exhibiting a maturity beyond his years. He continued to impress her. She definitely wanted to know him in the future.

"I don't want to give you a reason to hate me," he said, holding her face between his hands. "I also don't want to give you a reason to hate yourself."

Melina held her breath when he leaned forward. She closed her eyes, her lips prickling with anticipation. Instead of kissing her lips, he tipped her head down to kiss her forehead. A sigh of relief, like air escaping a punctured tire, pushed past her lips.

"I think I should leave," he announced, slowly pulling himself away from her to stand up from the couch. "You're right. It's not a good idea for me to be here."

"Thank you," she said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

"Are you going to be all right by yourself?" He stepped into his shoes as he picked up his jacket.

"Of course I will."

"You should get some sleep if you can," he suggested, going to the door. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Miss Zusa."

"Yeah. Definitely." Calling her by her official teacher name was like dumping cold water on her.

"Will you answer one question for me before I go?" Shoto inquired without turning around to look at her.

"Sure," she replied gamely.

"Do you think you could ever love me? I mean as a man, a boyfriend...a lover?"

Her mouth and throat went so dry she was sure she could cough up dust. He liked asking the difficult questions. She stood up from the couch, foregoing the glass to pick up the bottle to drink the remainder of the wine. Clearing her throat, she did her best to choose her next words carefully to express her sincerest opinion on the matter.

"Shoto Todoroki, I've already gotten several glimpses into the kind of man you're going to be. You just gave me more incredible insight into the future you tonight. The reason I'm keeping you at arm's length now is because I have no doubt I could love that man. However, I refuse to do anything to hinder the process of you becoming the person you need to be."

Shoto pivoted on his heel to face her. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears giving his irises a jewel like appearance.

"One day you'll forget about me. This is just a school boy crush after all," she said, dismissing his feelings with a wave of her hand.

Watching his warm expression transform into a frigid anger, she realized she had made a critical error in judgment by being so flippant.

"Please don't demean what I feel by calling it a school boy crush," he stated, his tone hard as flint.

A determination to make her understand hardened the softness of the emotion in his eyes. He stomped back across the room toward her, taking hold of her like he did in front of the apartment building, grasping her upper arms.

"I have decided you're the one I want. If I may be so bold, I think you already have feelings for me too but you're denying them, running away from them. You're confused and upset because you were involved with someone else but he's gone. I'm here. Why can't you - " His words abruptly halted. "Never mind. I'll give you the time you need to get over him. You're right. I'm too young. I'm still young enough and stupid enough to think life is a fairy tale and all you need is love. But it's a silly, childish fantasy that I want to hang on to a little longer."

"It's not stupid. It's just that life is more complicated than that," she said, reaching up to stroke his cheek after he let go of her arms. "Unfortunately, no matter how much we want it to be, love alone isn't enough sometimes."

"I wish it could be," he whispered, sadness pushing the anger out of his eyes.

"Me too," she answered, cupping his face in both of her hands.

The tear that leaked from her eye and streaked down her cheek took her by surprise. Shoto stunned her further by leaning forward to kiss her cheek. His lips pressed another spectacularly tender kiss a little lower than that one, and then another, following the damp trail down her face to her chin. The kiss he placed near her mouth, the corner of his lips lingering on her skin, caressing the edge of her mouth, took her breath away.

"Shoto, you should go," she whispered. "Please, go. I want you to leave before something happens."

"What would happen if I stayed?" he asked, combing his fingers through her wet hair to push it back from her face.

"You'd take me to that bed, and I wouldn't tell you no. You would make love to me, and it would be the end of us both. If you really want a possible future with me, you should leave," she warned him, lifting her hands from his face and backing away to put an arm's length of distance between them.

"Good night, Melina." He bowed and rotated on his heel. This time he left quickly without looking back or saying another word.

Melina dropped to her knees when the door closed behind him. Leaning forward onto her hands, her head swirling with so many thoughts and feelings it made her dizzy, she panted for air. Before tonight, she had been able to project all of her misplaced emotions for him onto Dabi, denying them, ignoring them. She had tried to starve and kill those feelings by forcing them in another direction. But Dabi was gone.

There was no doubt in her mind she loved Dabi because if she didn't her heart would not be hurting so desperately. However, love is a nebulous and multi-faceted concept. One loves their parents, their spouse, their children, their friends - but can also love chocolate and dogs and sunsets and myriad of other inanimate things. All of these kinds of love are different and unique; each one completely separate from the others, yet none diminishing another.

Melina would admit her feelings were not on the same level as Shoto's, mostly because time and circumstances would not allow them to be equal. She had been completely transparent with him about her thoughts earlier. She knew she cared about him as a friend, maybe even a sibling, but anything else would be wrong at this time due to her recently broken ties with Dabi.

No. They both needed time to grow and to change and to heal. It would be emotionally unethical to engage him in a more intimate relationship, a physical one in particular, at this time. Doing so would be like coercing him to sign a contract, binding him to fulfill demands he didn't fully understand or would be capable of satisfying.

Besides, the whole thing with Dabi needed to come to a definite conclusion. He could still come back. He could change his mind and make amends like he did before.

"Yeah, and they lived happily ever after," she snickered darkly. She too preferred to cling to storybook ideals, and still idiotically clutched the ridiculous hope of a fairy tale ending for herself. "Get over it. He's not coming back. He might even kill you."

Dabi had sworn her wouldn't kill her at the same time he confessed his love for her. From the way he spoke to her in her apartment, if Shigaraki ordered him to kill her, he would do so without prejudice.

He had sworn to love her. Apparently promises were meant to be broken. The shards that remained of that shattered promise, tore at her heart and soul, scraping it raw. Melina cried in earnest, bawling her eyes out while sprawled on the carpeted floor of the hotel room. Pouring out her heart or rather what was left of it, she emptied everything leaving nothing behind so she could begin anew in the morning.

"Enough of that," she told herself, getting up from the floor. "Take your stand and fight."

Melina started the process of consciously deadening her emotions, one by one. Compartmentalizing her emotions away from facts allowed her to bring rational thinking to the forefront. The sobering thought of Dabi coming after her, his loyalty to the villains being greater than his love for her, chilled her to the bone and made it easy to begin decimating her romantic feelings for him.

There would be time for love later and not with him. But for now, she had to think to stay alive.


	17. Chapter 17

Melina hesitated in front of the door clutching the mask wrapped in plain white linen cloth. Research and Development Laboratory was printed in plain two inch tall black letters on the clear glass panel in the steel door. She could see Mei in the distance inside the room with her back to the door. Despite the early hour, the girl sat at a desk, hunched over, and concentrating on whatever she was working on.

Her willingness to trust Mei with mask wavered. Her misgivings stemmed from the possibility that she could be putting Mei in an exceedingly dangerous position. She did not want an innocent child to be implicated should anyone come around asking questions about the incident at the villain's hideout. Heaven forbid, the League of Villains mistake Mei for a new Grey Ghost should they show up here again and find her in possession of the mask.

Changing her mind, Melina decided to walk away. But it was too late.

"Miss Zusa?" Mei called after she had taken only a few steps down the hall.

Melina turned around, placing the mask behind her back. Mei stood at the door, the upper half of her body extending out into the hallway.

"Morning, Mei. I'm here to see your lab. Is that all right?" she asked, hoping to divert the girl's attention.

"Come on in," Mei happily invited her, opening the door wide.

Melina walked in, passing in front of her, not anticipating the girl snatching the mask right out of her hand.

"Ooooh, what is this?" Mei inquired, unwrapping the cloth to reveal the cracked white mask.

"That is something very special to me. My father made that. I'm afraid I did something very stupid and damaged it," she admitted without going into details.

Melina doubted the entranced girl would have heard anything else she said. She watched Mei as she stared at the mask with the fascination of a child lost in wonderment and the concentration of a genius when the gears of thought are turning. Her father would get that same expression on his face quite frequently during the process of working on his projects.

"The optical sensor is broken. A bullet went through it and is still lodged in the mask," Melina advised the girl so she wouldn't be shocked when she found it.

Mei never even looked up as she continued to examine the mask. The only indication she gave Melina that she had heard her was when she turned over the mask to follow the crack to the optical sensor with her finger.

"I can fix this. It will be easy. Don't you worry," Mei told her, placing the mask on her work table strewn with sketches and gears and hand tools. "I'll do my best to repair the cracks, but I have to warn you the damage has probably ruined the over all integrity of the mask as far as bulletproof protection goes."

"Yeah. I figured that. Repairs can only do so much when there are structural flaws in the foundation," she returned, garnering the girl's full attention.

"Why can't you fix it? You seem familiar enough with the technology and obviously you're intelligent."

"My knowledge of something that sophisticated is limited. I trust you to do a much better job than I could." Melina smiled when a bright crimson red blush of astonishment at the unexpected compliment spread across the girl's face. "This is one my father's most important inventions. His baby, if you will. I don't want to completely destroy it."

"Wow," Mei sighed, caressing the mask as if it were a fine work of art. To her it was a work of art made by an unknown master she would never have the honor of meeting. "Thank you for trusting me with this."

"So how about that tour?"

Mei took Melina by the arm, leading her around the large room full of work tables, heavy machinery, and power tools. Endless bins of various sizes covered an entire wall from top to bottom and side to side. They were full of parts ranging from screws and washers to massive sheets of metal and what appeared to be scavenged prosthetic limbs.

Blueprints, schematics, and wiring diagrams covered the walls. Sketches of hero costumes along with drawings of gadgets and weapons lay in haphazard piles on desks. Some of the pictures had fallen to the floor but were left where they lay like leaves that had fallen from trees.

Inventors were messy and scattered both physically and mentally, generally leaving chaos in their wake. They had too many thoughts, too many brilliant ideas to get out of their heads, to take time to clean and organize. Super smart people also had a tendency to forget the basics of self-care. They forgot to eat and to sleep, often collapsing from a severe lack of both if there was no one to help take care of them.

"Thank you, Mei. I enjoyed being here," Melina told her at the door. "It reminded me of being in my father's lab. I wish you could have met him."

"Me too," the girl returned, her eyes becoming sad. "I should have this fixed by tomorrow. I might even finish it by this afternoon."

"There's no rush. Take your time. Don't forget to eat," she reminded her. "I'm sure your teacher runs you out of here at night to make sure you go to bed."

"Yes," she chuckled. "He does. Don't worry. Your father's invention is in good hands."

"I know." Melina couldn't agree more.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina left a note on the whiteboard for her students to meet her on the roof. At the bottom she had written _Except for Koda_ in capital letters using a red dry erase marker. She adopted a kitten from the animal shelter this morning for him to care for while the rest of the class observed the bees and honey gathering.

The kitten would no doubt become the class pet. She hoped Aizawa wouldn't be too angry that a cat would be added to the household as well. She still wasn't sure how he felt about her moving in. He would probably be more of accepting of the kitten than her, but he seemed to be more tolerant of her presence than before. They both needed more time before she moved into the dorms.

Melina waited for all of the students to gather on the roof. She made sure each one was clothed in the beekeeper's coveralls and hat complete with netting she had left for them on their desks. She didn't want anything, not even her bees, to hurt these kids. Her students were amazed as she stood in nothing but her jeans and t-shirt, completely unfazed as the bees lazily whorled around her or landed on her for a rest.

First she lectured on the basics of bees; their body structure and colony social structure. Secondly, she spoke about the literal structure of the hives using one of the frames to show them visually. The third part of the day's lesson involved her scraping off the wax and comb to gather the honey.

"Is honey sweeter than sugar?" Sato asked, notepad in hand. "What is the ratio for substituting honey for sugar in recipes?"

"Honey tastes sweeter than sugar because it's denser. Therefore, you use less of it. For every cup of sugar, you would substitute one half to two thirds cup honey," she replied to answer his question.

Melina blinked when one of the bees wiggled his body a little too close to the corner of her eye. Reaching up, she gently nudged it away with her forefinger.

"Does it bother you or scare you when they crawl around on your face like that?" Uraraka questioned her. She visibly recoiled when a bee moved over her teacher's bottom lip.

"I don't fear them. As odd as this sounds, they're my friends. I know they won't harm me. They gave me a special gift by giving me my quirk," she explained, carefully replacing the scraped frame into the apiary.

Midoriya piped up with a question. She would have been disappointed if he hadn't asked at least one question.

"Could you tell us more about your quirk and how it relates to the bees?"

Damn. Good question. Melina thought for a minute. Would she be telling them too much to explain everything? Probably not. These kids trusted her implicitly, and she should trust them just as much.

"Well, I honestly don't know everything about it myself. What I've learned, I have over time, making logical deductions and lots of educated guesses. I understand it to be a mutation. It is also sort of a contract, an agreement between myself and the bees. It requires both parties to work together for the quirk to work. Or perhaps it's more of a symbiotic relationship," she corrected herself, placing a pot of recently bloomed lavender on top of the hive to draw the bees away from her. "I believe ours would be considered commensalism which is where one of the organisms benefits greatly from the symbiosis. The other is not helped or harmed by partnership."

"You're saying only you benefit from the relationship?" Toykoyami asked.

"Yes, it seems to be that way," she admitted. "I have the power to bring people under my control like the Queen Bee does the bees of the hive. I also gather their honey and beeswax. What do they gain in return?"

"A safe place in the apiary rather than being left to elements. You give them flowers for pollen and nectar," Yaoyorozu helpfully supplied in her defense.

"Thank you for that."

"Hmmm," Midoriya hummed pensively, commencing to muttering to himself under his breath. "So, Miss Zusa, is the contract, or the symbiosis, broken only if something drastic happens to either one of the parties?"

"Yes, I believe so," she replied.

Melina had come to the conclusion not too long ago that the only way to get rid of her quirk was if she died or the bees died. One day, thinking back, she experienced the epiphany that the bees had passed the quirk onto her mere hours after grandmother's death, choosing her to be their new queen.

What if she had not gone near the hive that day? A colony can't survive without a queen. Perhaps they did need her as much as she needed them. Could the bees have waited until she did come to them? Would they have flown away to find another queen? Who knows? She was there, they choose her, and she received their blessing/curse whether she wanted it or not. So the _what if_ doesn't matter.

Melina glanced around at the kids who had gone completely silently. She could tell by the varying expressions of sadness and concern they understood what that _something drastic_ would be to break the symbiotic relationship.

Todoroki wore a different expression. He was angry. Knowing the villains were after her for her quirk, his mind went in a completely different direction. Not only could she see it in his face and the way he glared at the beehive, she knew what he was thinking by the way his fingers flexed. They half curled then uncurled, the same way Dabi's did before he formed a flame in the middle of his palm.

Clapping her hands together loudly to startle them and dispel the negative black cloud that had formed over their sunny day, she brought their attention back to the present and away from dire possibilities. She went to the roof door, opening it as a signal the time had come to go back to the room.

"I'm afraid tomorrow will be a boring classroom lecture," Melina announced to the students as she herded them down the stairs.

A collective groan of disappointment rose from the class.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she sympathized. "Not everyday can be exciting. Actually, to me, the boring, mundane days...the quiet ones are the best. Don't take them for granted."

Melina made eye contact with Shoto when he paused in front of her.

"I have the feeling no day is boring with you," he said.

"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," she said in a low warning tone.

"I have no idea what you just said," he rejoined.

"Yes, you do," she snapped impatiently. "Don't do it."

"But the villains would leave you alone. You would be free from worrying about them hunting you down or killing you," he rejoined, his voice barely above a whisper despite the two of them being the only people left on the roof. His eyes lowered to her lips. "You would also be able to kiss someone...I mean _really_ kiss them, without turning them into a mindless slave."

"Wow, that was harsh," she returned in a breathy voice. "As many times as I've thought about getting rid of my quirk, I've never wanted to go that far. I've made peace with it. Whatever it is, a blessing or a curse, it's mine."

Her hand cupped his cheek as she studied the scar on his face. Her thumb skimmed across his cheek, tracing the lower edge of the scar.

"Don't tell me you didn't spend years wishing, hoping, praying to get rid of this part of you. You hated him and you hated that part of him in you. But eventually, you learned to embrace it as a vital part of you separate from him. You are who you are, and not your Father...no matter what."

"Yeah, you're right," he begrudgingly agreed, grasping her wrist to pull her hand away from his face. "I get it. I won't burn the damn bees."

Melina observed him carefully as he walked away; his back ramrod straight, shoulders stiff, and head held high. She had been pretty harsh herself in return, but she knew he could take it. Also, she had to make him understand how she felt so he wouldn't burn the hive and destroy her bees to set her free from her quirk.

~\\..'../~

* * *

In the afternoon, Melina sat in her classroom going over her lesson plan for tomorrow. She would be giving a lecture on flowering plants. A lily might be a good example to use in order to point out the basic structure. As she was thinking, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called.

Mei entered the room, hands held behind her back. The big smile on her face showed that she was extremely pleased with herself.

"You fixed it?" Melina asked, sliding off her stool to put both feet on the floor. Joyful anticipation made her blood pump faster through her body.

"I did!" Mei exclaimed, holding it out to her.

Melina's fingers trembled as she took the mask. The cracks were gone. Mei had fixed them so well there was no trace they had ever been there. Holding the mask up to her face, she activated the sensor by blinking. It immediately turned on for both eyes. She cycled through each mode to test them. The visibility seemed clearer, sharper.

"I tweaked it a little bit. I hope you don't mind," Mei said after she pulled down the mask.

Tears formed in Melina's eyes and ran down her cheeks.

"Did I do something wrong?" Mei asked, her eyebrows drawing together in worry.

"No, you did everything right and then some. Thank you so much, Mei," she said, swiping at the tears impatiently.

"Thank you for allowing me to fix it. It means so much you that you did. If possible, could I have it again sometime, just to study it?"

"Sure thing. There's a whole suit that goes with it. I'll bring it in."

"Great!"

There was a knock on the jamb of the open door. Who was it now? Both student and teacher glanced toward the door.

"Am I interrupting?" a red faced Todoroki inquired.

"No. Come in," Melina called to him, lowering the mask under the level of her desk so he could not see it. "Thank you, Mei."

"Any time! See you later," she called as she headed toward the door. "What's up, Todoroki?"

"Mei," he acknowledged her.

Melina watched in disbelief as Shoto Todoroki actually turned his head and followed Mei with his eyes as she walked to the door. While he was distracted, she shoved the mask into her purse.

For a second, jealousy flickered through her, hot and violent, tightening her chest and compressing her lungs. Walking toward him as he continued to watch until the girl disappeared, she reached him about the same time he turned around toward her. Before he knew what hit him, she did, punching him in the bicep.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" he yelled, rubbing his sore arm.

"Did you seriously just check her out?"

"Jealous?"

"Hah," she scoffed, whirling around on her heel and stomping back to her desk.

"Oh, my god! You are!" he exclaimed way too happily.

"Oh, stop, I am not," she countered irritably, snatching her purse from under her desk.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, trapping her body between his and the side of her desk.

"It's hot in here. Why the hell is it so hot this spring?" she groused, placing her palm on his chest in preparation to push him away. "Move. I need to go."

"When are you moving into the dorms?" He placed his hand over hers and refused to budge when she applied pressure with her palm.

"Soon. Shoto, I need to go," she insisted, pushing harder but it was as if he was glued to the floor.

"Where are you going in such a big hurry?"

"My hotel room. I have an exciting evening of room service, a hot bath, and reading a terrible romance novel planned."

"Can I join you?"

"Hahaha...no," she flatly refused, shoving him away from her.

"Awww, you're so mean," he whined, walking after her.

"And you're so weird. You're a completely different person around me than when you're around your classmates or other teachers," she said, walking briskly down the hall.

"Yeah, there's a reason for that," he shot back, picking up the pace to keep up with her.

"If I told them how you acted, they'd never believe me."

"For you to be so short, you sure do walk fast."

Melina stopped dead in her tracks requiring him to halt abruptly which made his sneakers squeak on the floor.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" she demanded, glaring up at the boy who was at least half a foot taller than her despite him being only sixteen.

"Yes. I'm going to visit my mother tomorrow," he told her, staring at the white toes of his converse sneakers.

"And?"

"I want you to come with me...to meet my mom."

"Shoto, I can't. I'm just your teacher. There's no reason - "

"You're more than that to me, and you know it," he said sternly.

She was too tired to argue with him about the many things wrong with his statement. They had been over all of them before.

"I can't," she flatly refused.

Melina turned away from him, proceeding down the hall without saying anything further. Meeting his mother was a big deal. A HUGE deal, that she was just not ready for. Also being introduced to her by her son, hinted at Melina being a hell of a lot more than his teacher or his friend. Of course, he had no problem whatsoever with his mother seeing her as more but she did.

Meeting his father had been by complete accident and inevitable. She would have met him sooner or later considering she is a teacher at UA, and he is the number one hero who would have to visit for one reason or another. However, Shoto would never allow his father to know her as anything more than a teacher at the school.

"Please?" he begged, his voice echoing inside the vacant hall.

"I will," she promised. "Soon."

Purposely being vague about the time frame, she hoped it was enough to quell his persistence.

"Tomorrow?" he pressed.

"Ugh. Good night, Todoroki! See you in class tomorrow!"

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina spent an uneventful evening at the hotel, remaining delightfully alone all night long. She took a bubble bath and drank champagne, simply because she could. She ate steak and french fries and chocolate covered strawberries for dinner before curling up in bed to read a perfectly awful story about a sadistic, domineering boss who chose his bashful, wilting flower of an administrative assistant to be his newest sex slave.

In the morning, she arrived early to get the lily from her rooftop garden to have it ready in the classroom. As she was studying her notes for the lecture, adding to them or editing facts, All Might walked into the classroom without knocking.

"Good morning!" she called out with such a cheery disposition she stunned herself.

"Morning," All Might returned, his face unsmiling.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling like a balloon that had been pricked with a pin and was slowly deflating.

"Melina, I need you to come with me," he stated grimly. "A friend of mine would like to speak with you. He's waiting in Principal Nezu's office."

A lump formed in her throat. Nausea swam in her stomach like a fish, tickling her digestive tract all the way up her esophagus. She feared she might throw up. That would be humiliating.

"Is he waiting with the Principal and possibly Mr. Aizawa?" she asked, continuing to stay seated due to her weak knees. When he nodded, she exhaled noisily, then asked one more question. "Is your friend a police officer?"

"Do you know what this is about?"

"I have an idea."

Melina forced herself to stand, plodding along behind All Might all the way to the Principal's office. God, this was frightfully reminiscent of her high school days. However, this time she would be answering for a hell of a lot more than setting off a small explosion using nitroglycerin.

When they arrived in the office, there were three people gathered around the coffee table: Principal Nezu, Mr. Aizawa, and a man with an appearance that screamed police officer. The man in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie, stood up to greet her. The officer with black hair and black eyes, a good looking but nondescript face, extended his palm to her.

"Miss Zusa, my name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. I'm a detective with the Police Force," he introduced himself.

"I would say nice to meet you, but considering the circumstances, I'm afraid I cannot," she said tonelessly, taking his hand.

His grip was firm but gentle, squeezing her hand briefly then letting go. When she sat down, they sat down.

There was a laptop computer sitting on the table between them, open and facing the detective who sat by All Might. Aizawa had taken a seat beside her. Mr. Principal had pulled his desk chair over to sit at one of the table.

"Miss Zusa, recently we obtained a video from an confidential source," Detective Tsukauchi said, pressing a button on the computer before flipping it around so she could see the screen.

A video in vivid color showed her in a back alley, surrounded by four men. This wasn't the video Melina expected. She had anticipated seeing herself on top of a building dressed in her grey suit.

Three of the five people in the room did not know it was her on the screen yet due to old-fashioned movie star suit and the wide brimmed hat she wore hiding her face. However, they would know soon enough when she raised her head to reveal her face to the camera.

That night still haunted her. That was the night her life started its official uphill climb to set off an insane roller coaster of events. Although she wanted it to end, she feared that out of control ride might soon be coming to a sudden stop in a way she had not anticipated.

On the screen, her chin slowly tilted upwards so she could look at the face of the man who approached her. Astonishingly, there was no reaction, not even a gasp.

Melina looked down, staring at her toenails painted a light lilac color. She shielded her eyes with her hand to avoid seeing the video since she already knew what would happen next. Her body quaked from the inside out as they continued to watch the events unfold. She _wished_ it had been the video proof of her bombing the villain's hideout.

The silence was deafening, so profound her ears started ringing. The click of the detective hitting the key on the computer to stop the playback was as loud as an explosion. Or maybe that was preemptive explosion in her head before her life went up in flames again.

Lightheaded, struggling against the oppressive atmosphere in the room making it hard to breath, she inhaled deeply, preparing to speak.

"Let me guess, this video was mailed to you with no return address, no prints on the package, no anything for you to ascertain the sender's identity?" she ventured, meeting the intense gaze of his black eyes.

"Well...yes," he hesitantly answered, confirming her theory which was absolute fact. "But how did you - "

"Because this was sent to you by Tomura Shigaraki," she said. "If you'll check the address of this location." She stood up, leaning over the computer to point at the painted numbers and letters on the dumpster in the alley. "That alley is behind the bar where you answered a major disturbance call relatively recently. Do you have video from that night too?"

"We might...but how did you - " The poor detective was thoroughly baffled as to how she had so much more information than him. He had no idea just how deep her involvement in this mess went - but he was about to find out.

"Because I was the one who called in the tip then bombed the hell out of those fuckers, smoking them out of their hideout so you could arrest them," she said.

All Might's jaw dropped at her brusque language as much as her confession. Aizawa snorted in his attempt to suppress a chuckle, and Principal Nezu issued a soft and shocked, "Oh, my!"

"And that video," she said, pointing at the screen,"is me killing the four men who intended to gang rape me."

Melina stood up, extending her hands toward him, wrists together and palms up in surrender.

"So arrest me, Detective. I do not regret murdering those reprehensible bastards who had probably raped other women and who I'm sure would have raped others had I not killed them. The one thing I do regret is ever accepting that invitation from Tomura Shigaraki," she confessed.

Naomasa Tsukauchi closed his gaping mouth with a snap of his teeth. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie, doing his best to regain his composure. This interview of a murder suspect had taken a turn he did not expect.

"Sit down, Miss Zusa, I think there is a whole lot more we need to discuss," the detective said, scrubbing his hand over his face. "Principal Nezu, may we continue to use your office? I don't think police headquarters would be a good place to discuss this matter."

"Yes, Detective," he replied. "All I ask is that I am able to remain as an observer since I'm Miss Zusa's employer."

"I should get to my classroom. The students will be waiting on me," Mr. Aizawa announced, standing up to leave. "I'll take care of your students today for your class, however, I expect you to be in class tomorrow."

Melina nodded, giving him a smile on quivering lips. Aizawa's unspoken confidence in her being above reproach in the entire screwed up situation meant a great deal to her.

"I'll stay too," All Might volunteered, moving to sit beside her after Aizawa left the room.

"Now, Miss Zusa, please start with the events that began after you received the invitation," the detective requested.

Melina took a deep breath to begin. This was going to be difficult. All Might and Mr. Principal staying with her, to offer her their moral support, gave her the courage she required to tell the detective her story all the way up to the point when a _reliable but anonymous source_ told her that Shigaraki planned to kidnap her and take her to All for One for him steal her quirk.

"They plan on breaking _into_ a high security prison?" Detective Tsukauchi questioned her to clarify his understanding.

"That's what I was told. And I believe it," she added considering her reliable source was Dabi.

"What do we do now?" All Might questioned his friend the detective.

Naomasa Tsukauchi thought for several tense minutes that seemed like anxiety riddled hours before coming to a possible solution.

"Miss Zusa, would you mind acting as bait in a trap to catch a very important mouse?" he inquired her directly, making eye contact with her. "If you help us, I'll make sure all charges against you are dropped and this video disappears."

Too bad erasing it from existence could have happened before Shigaraki ever saw it.

"What do I need to do?"

"It's going to be extremely dangerous," the detective warned her.

Melina resisted the urge to laugh.

"You should move in to the dorm," All Might interjected. "We can keep you safe here."

"But that will be putting you and the kids in danger," she protested.

He smiled broadly at her. Melina could tell she made him want to laugh in the same manner the detective's warning had amused her, appealing to the dark side of her humor.

"Think of it as house arrest if you have to," All Might said to her. He switched his gaze to the detective. "We can keep an eye on her for you."

Melina didn't like the way he made her sound like a criminal who was a flight risk, but she kept her mouth shut because she knew he had her best interests at heart. She never would have dreamed one of the heroes she hated would become her greatest advocate.

"Well, we already know they will be coming to abduct you. What we don't know is when. At least now we can control the where. I guess we start from here to formulate a plan. We have to be ready when the villains come," Detective Tsukauchi said.

"This plan better be a damn good one, Detective. I don't care what happens to me, but these kids - "

"Don't worry," All Might said, putting a massive hand on her shoulder. "These kids are stronger than you think. They won't let anything happen to you either."

"I know I said I was staying as an observer only," said Principal Nezu, the master strategist. "I believe the time has come for me to say something. This is my school after all. As such, it is my duty to protect everyone, students and teachers alike. The first thing we need to is control the time line on our own terms so we're ready to strike. We force them to act so we know when they will abduct her."

"How? What do we do?" Detective Tsukauchi questioned the principal.

"We should set up a public event. Something big and flashy," suggested Principal Nezu. "A meet the hero event. We could stage a confrontation between Miss Zusa and a hero. Make it a mock battle that will draw attention and paint her to be a traitor who turned against the heroes."

"I'll do it," All Might volunteered enthusiastically.

Melina's face turned red considering how she had to invoke her abilities, and his bubbly eagerness to offer to be the hero decoy.

"What about Aizawa? His ability erases quirks so she wouldn't have any actual power over him," said the detective.

"Well, there's a problem with that. Her quirk is a mutation. His erasure ability doesn't work on mutations," explained Mr. Principal. "She needs to seize their attention. It should be our number one hero, Endeavor."

"WHAT?!" Melina screeched, jumping to her feet. "I am NOT kissing Endeavor!"

All three men stared at her, blinking silently in awe of her loud and violent outburst.

"You won't have to. You only have to pretend to kiss him to use your quirk," Principal Nezu told her.

"Oh." She sat back down, staring at her feet again to avoid eye contact.

Her face felt as if it had been set on fire she was so embarrassed. If she could spontaneously combust, now would be a good time to enable her to escape her humiliation. Too bad for her there were no cases ever of someone dying of embarrassment.

But in order to fake a kiss, getting uncomfortably close to Endeavor would be a requirement. Ew.

"A tracking device or wire can't be placed on you. They'll find that too easily. Besides, we already know where they're taking you. Unfortunately, you'll be on your own during the time in between when they kidnap you and when they take you to the prison," Principal Nezu informed her.

"I'll be all right. I can protect myself," she assured them.

Maybe she should talk to Aizawa about that little team building exercise with the students so she could get some practice and test out her skills to make sure they are up to par.

"I'll speak to the prison and have some of my own men, including myself, posing as guards at the facility once you're taken," Detective Tsukauchi added, pounding away at the keys as he typed. "We have a basic plan."

They continued to discuss ideas for hours to develop a more specific game plan. To take a break from the intense conversation, the detective went through the department database to find footage of the night they answered the call for the disturbance. There wasn't much to see except for lots of smoke and panicked villains running through the streets.

For a few brief seconds, a small individual in a grey suit and the recognized villain Dabi could be seen on the roof a building before both of them dove in opposite directions to run away. Detective Tsukauchi had been the one in the helicopter speaking over the megaphone that night.

"I don't know whether to be amazed or frightened," All Might said, glimpsing at the little woman sitting beside him.

Lunch was brought in by Aizawa who quickly left without asking questions. Some time after that, they decided to call it quits for the day since the school day had ended.

"Miss Zusa, you look exhausted," noted All Might. "You should go to the dorm to rest. Myself and a few of the kids can go to your apartment to get your things."

"Uh...about that. I vacated my apartment to go to a hotel when I was told about Shigaraki's plan," she informed him, receiving questioning stares from all of them.

"Well, we will go there then."

"I'll go with you," the detective offered. "Can't be too careful."

"I'll walk you to the dorm, Miss Zusa. Mr. Aizawa should be informed of what's happening as well," Principal Nezu said.

"But can't I just have one more night to prepare? I really am tired. I don't know how much sleep I'll get in a dorm full of kids," she argued.

"I'm afraid not. This has to happen now for your safety," he insisted, sliding off the edge of his chair. "And that of our students. We don't know when the villains will strike. At least if they take you from here, we can respond faster knowing immediately that you're gone rather than figuring it out hours or days after you don't show up to class."

Melina couldn't argue with his line of reasoning. If they took her on a Friday evening, it would be quite a while before any discovered she was missing. She followed the principal to the door. On their way to the dorm, they encountered Todoroki on his way to see his mother in the hospital.

"You weren't in class at all today. What's going on? What's happening?" he asked. His eyes moved nervously back and forth between the principal and Melina as he waited for an explanation.

"Miss Zusa will be moving into the dorms tonight, that's all. Nothing for you to worry about, Mr. Todoroki," Principal Nezu assured him in a light hearted tone.

"Surprise!" Melina said with mock excitement.

She was too tired to fake it. Besides, Shoto was too perceptive and could see right through her bullshit anyway.

"I am surprised. I can help," he quickly added.

"You don't have - " Melina began to be cut off by the principal.

"That would be great. Please gather up a few more volunteers. All Might will be waiting for you at the front gate," Principal Nezu informed him.

"But you're going to- "

"Tomorrow," Shoto interrupted her, capturing her eyes. "It can wait until tomorrow. That will be a better day anyway and you will come with me, right?"

"Right," she agreed reluctantly, catching his meaning immediately.

 _This damn kid...he might be the death of me before the villains,_ she complained internally.

Melina and the principal entered the building that was five stories tall, taller than any of the other buildings on the main part of the campus. Several of the class 1A students were sitting on the couches in common area on the first floor. They jumped to their feet and greeted her. There was no need to ask her why she was there because they already knew she was moving in at some point.

Melina and Mr. Principal took a quick impromptu tour of the first floor, not only to show her around but to find Aizawa as well. There was a large living room area with a television. There was a dining room set up with many small tables rather than one huge table for cozier dining arrangements. The washers and dryers in the laundry room did require coins which was nice. The bathrooms provided private showering stalls but a common bathing area set up like a gigantic hot tub.

Last but not least, they entered the large, restaurant style kitchen complete with over-sized appliances and shining steel tables for food preparation. There they found Aizawa and a few of the students preparing dinner.

"Mr. Aizawa, we should show Miss Zusa to her room," Principal Nezu said.

"Sure thing," he responded, pulling off his hair net and white apron.

"I'm disappointed there are no frilly ruffles. Pink would be a good look for you as well," Melina joked with him as they made their up the stairs to the second floor.

"Shut up," he muttered in annoyance. "I'm glad your sense of humor is intact despite what you've been through."

"Yeah, well, at times it's the only thing that's kept me sane, finding humor, no matter how dark it might be, in every situation," she returned.

"Thanks for the additional house guest besides you, by the way. The kids named her Mellie in honor of you."

"Aw, that's cute. So you like the kitty cat?"

"I like the cat. Her namesake seems to be a lot of trouble though."

"Hmmm," she groaned.

Aizawa opened the door to a room with a gold plate imprinted with Resident Adviser in black on it.

The room was like that of a standard university dorm. There was a twin size bed with a bookcase headboard and a matching four drawer dresser along with a desk and chair. To her right behind a door, was a half bathroom with a sink and toilet. The room boasted a private balcony which she liked.

"The refrigerator is not for wine and beer," Aizawa informed her when she opened the stainless steel door of the mini fridge to look inside.

"Well, damn," she muttered. Not that she would ever bring alcohol into a house full of teenagers.

"I'm sure it's not the type of accommodations you're accustomed to, but this is it."

"It will do just fine, Mr. Aizawa. Thank you. Well, I suppose I should go shopping. I think you gentlemen need a moment to talk."

Melina took her exit quickly and gracefully. Downstairs, she bumped into Iida, Bakugo, Midoriya, and Todoroki.

"Go on ahead guys, and I'll be there in a minute," Shoto said as they walked outside. Taking her by the wrist, he pulled Melina around the corner of the building. "What the hell is going on?"

"I just decided there was no time like the present to move in," she lied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"The hell you did," he hissed, keeping his voice low in case fellow students walked past. "Fine, don't tell me. I guess I'm glad you're here whatever the reason."

"No jumping the fence either mister and coming over to girl's side. You hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Ironic I'd be the one getting into trouble considering you're the relentless pursuer," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Shoto smiled at her. Mischievous, handsome, just a little mean and whole lot of sexy as the warm spring breeze ruffled through his dual colored hair. Life really was completely unfair sometimes. He had a power over her exactly like his brother. Damn them both.

"I want to talk to you about this later," he said.

"Yeah. I know," she returned. "They're waiting for you."

"Hey! Todoroki! Where the hell are you?" Bakugo bellowed from a distance.

"You need to go," she said when he hesitated. "Later."

She really needed to go shopping anyway. She didn't own twin sized sheets.


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: This is a very special addition to the story just in time for mother's day. Please enjoy it.

Extra special thanks to bbymojo, AstroLibra, and Terrence Johnny Stanford.

* * *

Melina met Shoto at the front gate after classes. She had not forgotten the promise he had forced her into making. Because she cared about him and knew how much this meant to him she was going to meet his mother.

The first order of business was to buy a bouquet. Melina picked baby pink carnations and white daisies, something a little different from all the ones before due to the importance of the occasion. The choice of flowers was a nod to motherhood and its beautiful glory; to be given to a particularly special mother.

Melina clutched the bouquet so tightly in her hands she could smell the verdant fresh scent released by the stems from her crushing them. She had not been this nervous when facing the villains. Palms sweating, heart racing, she forced herself to take deep, calming breaths.

"You did tell your mother I was coming, didn't you?" Melina asked, staring at his reflection in the shiny silver doors of the elevator.

"Of course I did," he answered, pressing the button that was already lit up as if it would make the elevator move faster.

"Good. I don't want to start off by upsetting her. That's not how to make a good first impression."

"A good impression is that important to you, huh?"

"Well, yeah, shouldn't it be? After all, my meeting her is important to you."

Finally the doors parted allowing them entrance into the elevator.

"I've told her all about you. She's been wanting to meet you."

"What exactly did you tell her?" she questioned him, her heart beating even faster.

Shoto did not answer. He just stood there smiling this weird little smile like he had a big secret. The ding of the elevator reaching the proper floor made Melina jump.

"What did you tell her about me?" Melina repeated.

Shoto took her by the hand, giving her his most charming smile.

"I told her I've met the most amazing woman," he said, leading her down the hall.

"And?" she pressed, squeezing his hand.

"And this woman is my teacher. But in the future, she could be something more. Much more."

"You didn't," she gasped, mortified that he had hinted to his mother about a possible romance between them in the not too distant future.

"No. I didn't," he chuckled.

Melina lightly punched him in the arm.

"You're a terrible human being to scare me like that," she said, only half way joking.

Shoto knocked on the door with Todoroki on the nameplate by the door. Calling out Mom to warn her of his presence, he opened the door.

A woman with snowy white hair sat in front of the window. She was dressed in an untucked white button down shirt and loose light gray pants. When she turned to look at them, Melina saw eyes the same exact grayish color of Shoto's right eye. So he really was the perfect blend of his parents from his physical appearance right down to his quirks. What an amazing and wondrous amalgamation.

"Mom, this is my teacher who I've been telling you about. Melina Zusa, this is my mother," he proudly introduced her.

"It's so nice to meet you," Melina said, bowing then extending her hand to the woman.

"Likewise. I've heard so much about you. I was looking forward to this moment," she rejoined, shaking Melina's hand.

"We brought these for you," Melina proclaimed, her anxiety riddled voice a little too loud.

"They're beautiful. You're the one responsible for all of the lovely bouquets Shoto has been bringing me," she stated rather than asked, taking the flowers from her. "Thank you so much. Please sit. You can call me Rei, Melina."

Shoto and Melina sat in the other two chairs by the window. Melina's legs bounced up and down, opening displaying her apprehension. Shoto put a hand on one of her knees to make her aware of the annoying jittery movement.

"There," Rei said, placing the vase of flowers on the table next to her bed before taking a seat in the chair across from them. "I'm glad to see both of you. I wish you had been here just a few minutes earlier. Melina could have met your brother and sister."

"Oh, I had no idea they were coming today," Shoto said, looking a bit disappointed.

Melina almost breathed an audible sigh of relief. Meeting his mother was making her nervous enough. Being introduced to his siblings would have sent her into her overdrive. She was not prepared to meet the whole family yet. It might have broken her heart too because it would have brought up sentimental and sad memories of the oldest sibling who would be missing.

"How's school?" Rei questioned her son.

"Great. I'm learning more about bees and flowers and stuff than I ever thought I could. Tomorrow we're supposed to have a special training session with our teacher here which is going to be pretty exciting," he said.

Melina and Aizawa set tomorrow as the appointed day to have the team building exercise between students and teacher also giving him a chance to see her skills up close and personal. She hoped she was up to the task. This training practice would be a test for her to see if she could hold up against the villains in a face to face fight without the advantage of a surprise attack.

"So Melina, Shoto told me you make your own cosmetics," Rei said to include her in the conversation.

"Oh, yes, ma'am. I'll be happy to bring you some to try them out," she responded brightly.

"That would be great," his mother returned with a chuckle.

They continued conversing about flowers and their meanings. Both the pink carnations and white daisies symbolize a mother's love. Rei's eyes teared up a little upon learning this.

"I can see why she means so much to you, Shoto. Not only is she lovely and kind, she's extremely thoughtful," Rei said, making Melina blush darkly.

Melina could see where Shoto gets his charm. As if she didn't already know after being acquainted with his father's winning personality. She could return the exact compliment about his mother because Rei Todoroki was a beautiful, gracious, and considerate woman. The woman, despite her husband, had raised two fantastic children. She was quite sure the other two were just as impressive.

As they continued their visit, Melina was finding it more and more difficult to cope with the idea of the abuse the entire family must have suffered to drive this gentle, soft spoken woman to harm her child and for her firstborn child to turn his back on them all. Was it her loving husband who had locked her away in this hospital? Setting a placid smile on her face, trying to concentrate on the conversation at hand, she did her best not to think about that man.

By the end of the encounter she was happy for having met Rei Todoroki but exhausted from the internal emotional roller coast she had been taken on during the otherwise pleasant experience. Once they were out of the hospital, she turned to Shoto, embracing him tightly.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, his body stiff from her unexpected display of affection.

Apparently he was accustomed to making the first move and was far more comfortable with being the initiator of uncomfortable situations. Once the initial shock of her hugging him wore off, he enclosed her waist with his arms. However, by then she seemed to get a hold of herself and pulled away, backing up several steps to put more than arm's length of distance between them.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," she lied.

Melina could not tell him how sorry she was for all of the trauma he and his mother had endured. She wanted to tell him how happy she was that he had chosen to forgive his mother and work on mending their relationship. However, it was not her place to say such things. Hell, perhaps she was the one who needed the hug to be comforted.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, staring at the sidewalk under her feet. "I shouldn't have done that."

Melina saw the white toes of his converse sneakers appear in her line of vision. She looked up just before he took her into his arms, enclosing her in a bear hug with her arms trapped between their bodies.

"I shouldn't have done that either," he whispered in her ear. "But I regret nothing."

Melina sighed, pressing her forehead against his shoulder as he held her. She was not going to fight him. Despite knowing it would not look good for either of them should someone from school see them together like this, she did not have the emotional fortitude or desire to push him away. She was being selfish; she wanted the affection, and she actually did like being close to Shoto.

"Shoto, stop," she breathed, when his lips grazed her temple.

His unassuming gesture meant to comfort her weakened her knees and her self-control. Thank goodness they were in a public place so this encounter could not progress any further.

"We should go," she said, pulling away from him slowly and reluctantly.

Melina separated herself from him, walking on one edge of the sidewalk while he walked on the other. They walked through the park, each staying on their opposite sides far from the other.

People passed between them most likely unaware the two were even together. Mothers pushing strollers after treating their child to a day at the playground. Couples holding hands on dates. Office workers carrying briefcases on their way home from work. Each one as lost in their own little worlds as the two people they passed between the two people.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Shoto asked her as he held the entrance gate open for her.

"Very," she admitted.

"You won't hold back will you?"

"I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you won't be using your quirk either so how do you think you'll do against us?" he inquired pointedly.

Melina shrugged. "I don't know. I'm actually quite worried about it to be honest."

"You'll do fine."

Shoto stepped up to her, placing a kiss so quick and so brief on her lips she was not sure it had even happened at first. When she gaped at him in shock, the slow gradual smirk that lifted one corner of his mouth told her that he had indeed actually kissed her.

"For good luck," he said as if to excuse his forwardness.

Because why else would he have kissed her except to wish her good luck? Then he had the nerve to turn his back to her and stroll away casually like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

 _Oh, dammit, Prince Charming_ , she thought. _You're making my life so difficult._

~\\..'../~

* * *

Aizawa gathered the students of class 1A at the entrance of the mock city. They were all dressed in their hero costumes because this was going to be a full dress practice. Kaminari and Jiro were busy setting up computers and multiple video screens that would offer the teachers a view of everything going on from the many cameras located inside the area.

All of the other teachers were in attendance as well to observe their students. Recovery Girl joined the group for health and safety purposes should any student or their teacher get hurt during the training exercise.

"Today we will be playing Capture the Queen," Aizawa announced. "You will be counted out if you attempt to apprehend her and fail. You are free to use your quirks as you wish barring excessive use of force for the purpose of inflicting intentional bodily harm."

Everyone glared at Bakugo.

"What?" he snapped.

Then something at the end of the block caught their attention. A figure clad in grey leather, their face shielded behind a white mask, stood there. The green lenses that looked something like eyes could be heard emitting a slight robotic whir as they moved to focus on all of the students one by one.

"Is that...is that Miss Zusa?" Midoriya inquired.

"There is the Queen now," Aizawa proclaimed in his toneless voice.

The entire class stared in disbelief, rendered mute by her unexpected appearance in the outfit. Obviously there was more to her than her quirk which would be useless in this kind of training activity.

"Catch me if you can," taunted the robotic voice emitted from the masked figure.

Melina tossed out a smoke bomb that filled the area with white smoke allowing her to disappear.

"She's a freaking magician?" Bakugo muttered, unimpressed by her theatrics.

"What are you waiting for? Go get her," Aizawa said when none of the students moved.

Koji Koda called in a flock of crows to search from above and dogs to conduct a ground search in order to find her location. The rest of the students ran down the street, separating into groups, each taking a building to search. After about thirty minutes, no one turned up anything in their subsequent structures. They met back in the middle of the street to discuss strategies.

"How could she just disappear?" Kaminari complained.

"She didn't, idiot," Bakugo growled, glancing around. "She's here somewhere, and we're going to find her."

"Up there!" Koda exclaimed, pointing to the roof the building to their right after a crow started cawing loudly.

"Hi!" Melina yelled, standing on the edge of the roof and peering down at them. "It's about time you found me. I was getting pretty bored. Come get me!"

Melina pulled a small bag from inside her suit, opening it to spill out the contents. Small white pieces of paper that appeared to be confetti rained down. The confetti like pieces were actually tiny pouches containing miniscule amounts of gunpowder. They hit the ground around the students, popping loudly.

"Seriously?" Bakugo sneered looking down at the snapping things around his feet.

"What are these things?" Todoroki asked, stepping on an unpopped one to set it off.

"A distraction," Midoriya said, looking up to see that she was gone.

"Dammit!" Bakugo yelled.

"She went into that building," Koda informed them, pointing to the next building in the row. "She's on the top floor after entering through the roof door."

Aoyama, Ashido, Mineta, and Sato rushed in through the double glass front doors.

"Wait! It's a trap!" Midoriya yelled, rushing after them but lingering at the front doors.

But it was too late. A net dropped over them, pinning them to the floor.

"You're out of the game," Aizawa informed them through the hidden speakers in the building.

"Awww," they all groaned in disappointment. Their time was over too quickly.

"What are you all standing there for? Keep going," he encouraged them although with his deadpan tone it didn't sound very motivating.

"She purposely led us in here because she most likely has the whole building booby trapped," Midoriya said.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," growled Bakugo.

"Asui and Hagakure, why don't the three of you go check things out?" Midoriya suggested. "You can scout ahead of us for traps without being detected. Tokoyami, Jiro, and Shoji, the three of you can search for her floor by floor once you know where the traps are located. The rest of us will wait down here and decide what to do then."

\\..'../

Melina scaled down the ladder of the inner wall of the empty elevator shaft. The elevator was for decorative purposes only with no cables and no car to move from floor to floor. The elevator shaft was probably constructed to be used for what she was presently using it for - a means to move around undetected. The building itself was mostly a shell, the inside skeletal and full of empty rooms and bare stairwells.

She had set a trap on the first floor only to redirect them, intentionally sending them down a wrong path. Although there were no more traps, they would split up, thinning their ranks and wasting time to look for the nonexistent traps which would allow her to escape to another building.

She truly was a magician, employing slight of hand and simple trickery to get past the students. Creating a diversion over here to occupy their attention while she got busy over there doing something else. Her tactics may seem like cheating, but there was absolutely no way she could defeat twenty young heroes in a head on battle.

Besides, this was a battle of strategy not quirks. She was simply being strategic to save her ass and not get captured. Like how she had played her cards with the villains.

Reaching the second floor, Melina carefully pried open the doors of the shaft. She would make her exit here. There would undoubtedly be students waiting for her on the first floor. She flattened her back against the wall, keeping to the shadows in the darkened building as she moved soundlessly down the hallway.

Out of the corner of her eye, she believed she saw one of the shadows move. Freezing in place, pressing her back to the wall, she took deep breaths in through her nose, gradually releasing them through her mouth in an effort to remain silent.

One of the shadows peeled away from the wall, forming a definite bird-like head.

"Dark Shadow," she breathed, calling the shadow beast by name.

"I've got you," Tokoyami announced.

Before Dark Shadow could grab her, Melina turned to run. There was a large, unframed window at the end of the hallway. If she could make it, she would break through, landing in the bushes below and safely out of Dark Shadow's grip. Covering her face with her arms, she gathered all of her strength in her legs, launching herself at the massive pane of glass.

"Tokoyami! You're out! You missed your chance," Aizawa proclaimed.

Melina hit the bushes to be bounced off onto the ground. With an audible 'oof' her body smacked the soft grass, and she rolled before coming to a breathless stop flat on her back. That was not the landing she had anticipated.

"She's over here!" Kaminari yelled.

"Damn," she grunted, forcing herself to a standing position.

Still trying to catch her breath, a tad light headed, Melina decided to stand her ground and withdrew her batons from their holders. She had put the charge on the lowest setting only wanting to stun the kids, not hurt them.

Kaminari approached her with Ojiro at his side. Ojiro attacked first, launching himself at her, spinning in midair, and striking out at her with his tail.

Melina dropped down to a squat to avoid being hit by the powerful tail. Since Ojiro was within arm's reach now, she pressed the baton into his side, activating the switch. She watched as he dropped to the ground, dazed but conscious. Her attention moved to Kaminari who launched two disks at her which she deflected with her baton.

Getting to her feet, she ran at him, taking the offense to offset him which it did. Poking him in the belly, she shocked him with the baton. He appeared to be frozen in place, a blank expression on his face, and his eyes devoid of all thought. She had short circuited him.

 _Poor baby_ , she thought as a small line of drool trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," she apologized before running away.

Melina barely avoided being caught by the multi-armed Shoji in a net-like maneuver. It would have been too ironic to get caught in a trap not unlike her own. Three more down. That left twelve more students to escape and get counted out.

"Oh, god," she groaned. "I don't know if I can do this."

An arm with an appearance like a rock, hard and uneven that would be extremely painful to run into, shot out in front of her to execute a clothesline maneuver as she ran out from between the two buildings. Dropping to her knees, she slid underneath only to be lassoed and wrapped up in a clear, sticky cellophane reminiscent of tape.

"I got her! I win!" Sero yelled triumphantly.

Melina swung her baton upward, placing it against the tape holding her. The electrical charge burned the tape, weakening the bond and enabling her break free by flexing her arms and ripping it apart.

"You don't got her! You're out," Aizawa barked. "You too Kirishima."

 _Only ten more. Damn I'm tired_ , she thought, running toward the building ahead of her to take cover.

"I'm tired of this shit! I'm ending this now!" Bakugo shouted.

"Kacchan, no!" Midoriya yelled, his voice desperate and plaintive.

The explosions detonated behind her, the force thrusting her off her feet and through the air. The suit protected her from the heat but not the impact when she hit the pavement and rolled. Although she escaped breaking any bones, getting third degree burns, and enduring a debilitating case of road rash, her body would inevitably be covered with painful bruises. At the moment, she was in too much shock to feel anything.

"Damn you, Bakugo!" Todoroki bellowed at him before turning to go to Melina.

Laying on her side, unable to move but wide awake, she stared down the street at the students running toward her. She wanted to tell them she was okay, but she could not speak.

Recovery Girl knelt down in front of her, blocking her view of the kids coming to her. The woman's gentle, caring expression changed into one of worry as she struggled with the mask to remove it.

Melina flopped over onto her back, somehow managing to get her arms that were like dead weight to move and take it off. She inhaled a deep gulp of air. Her breathing was definitely hindered, obstructed by the mask despite the air circulation system installed in the suit.

"Can you hear me, Melina?" Todoroki asked, dropping down beside her.

She nodded mutely, turning her face in his direction.

"Can you speak?" Recovery Girl asked her.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"What's wrong? What's going on? Why can't she talk?" Todoroki gushed, his voice strained but controlled to not betray his panic.

"She's in shock. She will be fine. Pick her up, young man," Recovery Girl ordered him. "We should get her to my office."

"I-I-I..." Melina stuttered. Unable to utter another sound, frustrated and angry, she closed her eyes.  
"Hey! Are you all right?" Todoroki asked, jostling her about as he gathered her into his arms. "Wake up!"

"I-I'm a-awake," she whispered but not without major effort. "I didn't pass out. Oh, god, it hurts."

"What hurts? Where?" he asked.

"Everything. Everywhere," she mumbled almost incoherently.

"Damn, you're tougher than I thought you would be," Bakugo said sounding almost proud as he walked beside them.

"Gee, thanks," Melina muttered. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Is she going to be all right?" Bakugo asked Recovery Girl.

"She'll be fine with rest," she said.

Melina saw flashes of white light appearing in her vision so she closed her eyes. Her head felt light as helium filled balloon. Her entire body tingled. She tried to lift her arms to wrap them around Shoto's neck, to hang onto him before she floated away.

"Hey, Todoroki, I don't feel so good."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I might float away. Hang onto me tight."

Melina felt his arms tighten around her, pulling her closer to his body.

"Wh-what to do you mean? Hey, Melina!" he yelled at her, using her first name.

The intimate familiarity of him calling her by her first name shocked his classmates, but he was too intent on the unconscious woman in his arms to notice their reactions.

"She's okay, Todoroki," Recovery Girl assured him, patting his arm. "It's best that she fainted before she could feel all of the pain." 

~\\..'../~

* * *

Waking up is hard to do especially after being under the sedation of pain medication. Melina moaned, unable to open her eyelids yet. The numerous deep tissue bruises spread over her from head to toe made her entire body throb with each heartbeat. She whimpered pitifully in discomfort not wanting to move a muscle.

"Don't move too much. Take your time," Recovery Girl coached in her soothing voice.

"How long...how long have I been unconscious?" she inquired, her tongue thick and clumsy.

"Only a few hours. You're a quick healer," the grandmotherly woman said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You need rest so be still."

"I'm so embarrassed," Melina muttered, closing her eyes.

"Why?" Todoroki asked making her jump and open her eyes wide in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned him.

"I wanted to make sure you're all right," he answered matter of factly with a slight 'duh' tone to his voice.

"Hmph," Recovery Girl grumped. "I couldn't pry him away from your side."

Melina felt herself growing warm with embarrassment.

"Why are you embarrassed?" Shoto asked her since she did not explain.

"I didn't last very long against all of you. I spent most of the time running."

"You took out half of us. You were avoiding being captured. It was okay to run. Besides, when you did attack, you were pretty tough," he said.

"You're far too hard on yourself, young lady," Recovery Girl interjected, patting her shoulder. "Keep in mind, you did all of that without using a Quirk. I'd say that's pretty good for mere human strength and stubborn will working against a bunch of heroes armed with an array Quirks. All together, they're a pretty formidable group for anyone to take on."

Melina sat up, piling her pillows up to lean back against them. She closed her eyes to make the room stop spinning.

"May I have a glass of water?" she requested.

"Todoroki, why don't you go get water for her?" Recovery Girl suggested. "There are pitchers and glasses in the cabinet over there. The ice machine is down the hall."

"Yes, ma'am," Todoroki dutifully returned, taking the older woman's hint to leave.

Melina did not miss seeing the questioning glance he aimed at the healer before he cast a worried glimpse at her.

"Young lady," the kind woman said, taking one of Melina's hands between hers. "There's something very important we need to discuss."

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, nearing panic.

"Not necessarily wrong per se, but - "

"Melina!" All Might exclaimed, rushing into the room.

"All Might!" Recovery Girl exclaimed, not sound pleased by the interruption. "Could you please leave? There's something important I need to discuss with Melina. You can come in to visit in a few minutes."

Recovery Girl barely finished her sentence before students flowed in like a water breaking a dam. They were there to check on their teacher and would not be deterred for even a few minutes. The other teachers of class 1A came in behind them. A dull roar of voices filled the room when everyone started speaking at once.

Recovery Girl patiently sat holding Melina's hand, while her students and her fellow students fussed over her. Her patience wore thin when she saw her patient's face growing pale, her eyes dulling with exhaustion. Although they were acting out of concern, the noisy crowd needed to go.

Standing up on her chair, she shouted at the top of her voice,"I need everyone to be quiet!"

When silence filled the room, she cleared her throat and sat back down in her chair. Since she had everyone's attention, she began speaking again in her soft voice.

"I know you are all worried about her, but she will be fine. It is extremely important she gets her rest. I must ask you to leave now."

One by one, they bid her good-bye, each of the girls giving her an encouraging hug. When everyone was gone, Shoto placed the pitcher on the table beside the bed, handing her a glass of water.

"Thank you. I really need this," Melina said, her throat parched after all of the talking.

"You should go too," Recovery Girl told Todoroki.

"I'll check on you later," he said to Melina before leaving.

"What did you need to discuss with me?" Melina asked once he was gone, drinking the rest of the water in her glass.

Recovery Girl poured her another glass of water, then felt of her forehead and studied her face. She kissed the weak woman's forehead again, careful not to administer too much healing power that was drawing on Melina's own which was still quite strong. The woman was going to need all the strength she possessed to deal with this information.

"There's no good time, and no good way to tell you this," the older woman said, folding her hands placidly in her lap.

Melina's hand shook as she brought the glass of water to her lips. Recovery Girl's hesitation unnerved her. The woman didn't seem the type to become mealy mouthed when faced with telling someone bad news. Therefore her stalling to divulge the information made Melina exceedingly edgy.

"Young Lady, you're pregnant," Recovery Girl announced.

Melina inhaled in astonishment, sucking in the water, and immediately choking. The healer took the glass of water from her before she doused herself and the bed while her body spasmed violently with each cough.

"I'm what?" she wheezed.

Had she heard correctly? Pregnant? What rhymes with pregnant that she could have misunderstood? Absolutely fucking nothing rhymes with pregnant.

"But how?" she croaked, running her fingers through her hair and grasping handfuls.

"The usual way, my dear. You're the science teacher right?"

"How could this happen? Oh, my god..."

"Considering your situation, being a single woman and a teacher, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. No more training exercises. You should begin making arrangements for the future with your condition in mind. You're eight weeks along and - "

Suddenly Melina could no longer hear Recovery Girl speaking. A high pitched whine blocked out all other sound besides the alarm going off in her head. Pregnant. Eight weeks. She quickly did the math in her head. By her calculations, she got pregnant from the make up sex in between break ups with Dabi.

"Oh...my...god," she spoke slowly, pausing between each word.

 _Considering your situation_...Recovery Girl had no idea what kind of situation she was in. Sometimes she didn't know exactly what kind of situation she was in.

What kind arrangements for the future was she supposed to make exactly? Was that a veiled hint she should quit her job and leave the school entirely? Maybe she should just pack up and leave in the middle of the night to avoid tear filled, heart breaking good byes. She could fly back to the United States, hopefully putting this villain fiasco behind her as well.

The faces of two very important men in her life flashed through her head. One she knew she would not see again except under the worst possible circumstances. He wouldn't even know he was going to be a father because she would never tell him. The other, she would never tell he was going to be an uncle. There was far too much to explain that she was sure he would not understand. He would hate her. She would not hold his loathing her against him deeming it justifiable.

"Oh, my god," she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her sob.

Melina could not stop repeating the same three words over and over. If only some god, any god, could hear her pleas and help her. But no one could help her. Not even the heroes she had grown to love. Placing her hands on her belly, she knew she would have to be a hero to her child - even if it meant running away like a coward, carrying her secret, all of her secrets, with her.


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you to all of the wonderful people who have offered encouragement and uplifting words. AstroLibra, bbymojo, Luau, Terrance Johnny Stanford, and Justtryingnameshere, you have no idea how you have helped me find the will to continue writing and strive to get better and better with each chapter.

I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter. Happy reading!

* * *

Melina wiped away the last of her tears barely a second before Bakugo walked in. She smiled at him as he stood there holding a mangled bouquet of white daisies that appeared to have been plucked from the garden in front of class 1-B's dorm. Considering the sweetness of the gesture and him looking awkward as hell, she would not admonish him for taking the flowers.

"I was worried when you weren't in class this morning," Bakugo said, scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact.

"Recovery Girl thought it best I stay here for a day or two," Melina explained.

"You're not terribly hurt are you?" he inquired, coming closer to the bed.

"I'm fine. Just sore. I'll be all right after a little rest."

"Here. These are for you." He thrust the handful of half dead flowers at her.

"Thank you," she replied, taking them from him.

It really is the thought that counts. The intention behind them more the flowers themselves cheered her up. She snapped off the overly long stems, some with roots and a little bit of dirt still attached. Now the flowers would fit into her water glass without falling over.

Motioning to the chair beside the bed, she invited him to stay. The way he dilly dallied indicated he had more to say or to talk about.

"Are you okay?" Bakugo asked, sitting down.

"I already told you - "

"I mean," he interrupted then paused, gulping loudly. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Is the baby okay?"

Melina could not breathe. It was as if all the air had been sucked out her lungs. Rendered numb from her nose to her toes, she gaped at him, too stunned to speak.

"Please, don't faint," he begged. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"How do you know about that?" she asked, her voice a raspy whisper.

"I-I d-didn't mean to..." he started to explain, stammering helplessly. It wasn't like him to be at a loss for words. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I came to apologize and to check on you after everyone else was gone. I heard you and Recovery Girl talking. I'm sorry." He bowed his head, staring at his twiddling thumbs. "I won't tell anyone. I swear."

"I'm sorry too," she apologized, reaching out to place her hand on the crown of his head. "Oh!"

She had expected his wild spiky hair to be stiff and coarse to the touch. His hair looked like a dandelion, and it was super soft like one too. Apparently there was a soft side to his hard personality as well because a worried and apologetic Bakugo sat in front of her. Seeing this side of him did not make her worry any less that he knew her secret.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked, raising his head.

"That information is a burden you shouldn't have to bear," she said, giving him a slow, sad smile.

"But you were willing to bear it alone. What were you planning to do?"

His eyes met hers, but she immediately looked away. She could not stand seeing the pity - or bear her own guilt knowing she planned on skipping out on these kids as soon as possible.

"Were you planning on doing something to _not_ have the baby?"

"No," she replied quickly.

The option he was hinting at never crossed her mind. Although she was not prepared to be a single mother, selfishly, she wanted the baby because the child would allow her to keep a part of Dabi in her life and love him always. She wanted this baby more than anything in the world at the moment.

"Were you going to run away?" Bakugo asked without bothering to mince words.

Melina visibly flinched from the question, giving herself away. She had to tell him the truth.

"I have to go," she answered. "I have no other choice. I have to protect myself and the baby."

"I'll protect you," he insisted then quickly added, "We all can protect you. We can help you through this."

"How long do you think you can protect me? I should run away and hide. That way I - "

"For how long?" he shot back, turning her question around on her. "How long will you run? How long do you think you can hide? How long will you be safe that way? You'll be all alone with no one to help you. How will that kind of life be better for you and the baby? You have to stay here with us."

"I don't think they'll allow me to stay here. I'm a teacher. I'm supposed to be a role model. I'm single and pregnant. I'm a walking example of irresponsible. I was reckless and just plain stupid. I'd be seen as indecent, and not fit to teach impressionable teenagers how to be mature, responsible adults with good decision making skills," she said, angry with herself.

"You don't know your fellow teachers very well," he muttered under his breath.

"Bakugo, can I ask you a question about when you were being held hostage by the villains?" she inquired, dismissing the comment. After he nodded, she asked, "How did you resist becoming one of them?"

"It wasn't that difficult. I didn't want to be one of those assholes," he answered without hesitation. "I'm selfish and overly ambitious but not enough to join the villains."

She appreciated his painfully honest self-assessment. At least the boy had no illusions about himself. Melina debated whether or not to tell him another one of her big secrets. He already knew the biggest one possible so she figured one more could not hurt her.

"What would you say if I said I almost became one of those assholes? Willingly, of my own volition," she added.

"Why would you -"

Melina shrugged. She had no good reasons, no justification for joining the villains. With no direction and no goals in life, she had simply been acting on a whim and on her attraction to Dabi. That fantastic decision started this whole chain of events. She never expected this conclusion from their relationship though.

"What made you change your mind about joining them?" he questioned her when she did not offer the information.

"Shigaraki decided he wanted to take my quirk. He was willing to kill me to get it. Self-preservation kicked in so I ran," she confessed.

"How did running away work out for you? Good, huh?" Bakugo asked not holding back on the scathing sarcasm.

"Okay. I get your point," she sighed, leaning back on her pillows.

"You should rest. I'm going to leave," he announced, standing up from the chair. "Like I told you before, your secret is safe with me, but..."

Melina held her breath when he paused. She couldn't bring herself to consider he was about to blackmail her in exchange for his silence. What did he want?

"You better not run away. If you do, I'll have no choice but to tell everyone you're pregnant so we can find you and save your dumb ass for the sake of your baby."

She chuckled at his bluntness while tears stung her eyes from the unexpected caring behind the deceptively sharp words.

"I won't," she promised, closing her eyes.

"I'll send Icy-Hot to see you later. I'm sure he's worried sick. That idiot doesn't seem to understand how strong you are," he grumbled as he walked out.

"Oh, that boy," Melina sighed, burrowing under her covers as if they would form an impenetrable shield to protect her.

She struggled to think, to form a coherent thought. Instead of planning her future, she could only remember the past. Recalling bits and pieces of moments in time and snippets of conversations, memories of those she loved the most meandered through her fevered brain. Her parents, her grandmother, Dabi, and Shoto - everyone with whom she had shared a large piece of her heart.

Bakugo was right. She did need help. For the time being, she would stay. She would remain here as long as Principal Nezu allowed. Suddenly weary, exhausted by the gravity of her troubles pressing down on her, she gave into the alluring escape of sleep. Hopefully, a solution would present itself in the meantime.

~\\..'../~

* * *

"You're the one who needs my help?" Endeavor sneered, glaring at her from across the coffee table in Principal Nezu's office. "Forget it."

"But you already agreed!" Melina exclaimed, enraged with the less than charitable hero.

All Might placed his big, heavy hand on her shoulder to keep her behind pressed down into the couch. If Enji Todoroki wasn't already on fire, her fiery glower would have lit him up.

"Detective Tsukauchi and I already explained everything to you. I thought you had no problem with the plan. You agreed to help," All Might reminded him. "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"You failed to mention I would be helping _her_ ," he said, raising his nose into the air to literally look down it at Melina.

"We didn't realize it mattered. Her life is in danger. The villains have attempted to kill her before," All Might reminded him.

"Considering my one brief encounter with her, I would say with full confidence she did something to piss them off and brought this on herself."

Regrettably, he was not wrong in his frankly spoken assumption. Rude as hell but not wrong.

"Endeavor, is your ego really so delicate that you will allow the little incident from the cafeteria to keep you from offering your assistance to this young woman?" Principal Nezu questioned him forthrightly, unfazed by the massive size of the arrogant hero sitting in front of him.

Yes. His ego was that shamefully fragile. Endeavor folded his arms over his chest as if to indicate in silent protest how stubbornly opposed he was to helping her.

"I refuse on the basis that I can't waste my time on such a petty thing."

Was he referring to her or the situation as a petty thing? Or maybe both? Either way, Melina was livid and needed to leave. She could not endure another moment in the same room with him.

"That's fine. We'll devise another plan," she stated as calmly as possible. "Thank you for coming to this meeting today, and I apologize for wasting your valuable time."

Shrugging off All Might's heavy hand, sighing dejectedly, she gradually stood to her feet. Keeping her movements slow and deliberate to add to the dramatic affect, she shook her head sadly, sighing again before she walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Endeavor asked, disbelief in his voice.

Apparently he expected her to beg and cry, pleading with the number one hero to help her because she was out of options, and he was her only hope to live another day. To hell with that and to hell with him. She had pride too.

"Since you're incapable of helping me, I will find someone else who can," Melina said, keeping her back to him and still making her way to the door at turtle's pace. "You might be the number one hero, but you're not the _only_ hero in this city. Since you can't be bothered with such petty matters, I'll find someone who can."

She paused for full dramatic affect, allowing her subtle, gently spoken words coated with venom to sink into his hard head and much softer ego before going in for the kill metaphorically speaking.

"Maybe I should just ask your son. He's a pretty formidable hero already. You bred him to be something quite special, didn't you?"

"You wait just a damn second!" Endeavor exclaimed, jumping to his feet, his facial flames exploding outward. "Of course I'm the best one to help you. When are we going to do this?"

"We can begin practicing the day after tomorrow," All Might interjected as if to remind the two locked in a battle of wills and acidic words they weren't the only ones in the room.

"Fine. The day after tomorrow it is," Endeavor agreed.

Success! And she didn't even have to kiss him to bend him to her will. Double success!

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stood on the platform waiting for the train. There were a few other people waiting as well. An older woman with a bag of groceries. A businessman in a suit who kept looking at his watch. A guy in a black hoodie that hid his face. The white cords from ear buds hanging from underneath the hood indicated he was in his own world listening to music or something. All of them seemed harmless enough.

Nevertheless, she anxiously fiddled with the handcuff around her wrist hidden under sleeve that attached the briefcase to her arm. To her, the documents locked inside were that important for her to take such drastic measures.

Without telling anyone, Melina had left school early, foregoing grading papers. She had gone to the bank to the safe deposit box to retrieve some of her father's notebooks for Mei. She had given Mei her suit to study, asking her to develop another suit, a lighter type of body armor that could be worn under her clothing. Her father might have notes in one of his notebooks to enable her to complete it faster, eliminating a lot of trail and error.

So far her trip had been uneventful. As usual, her luck was about to run out when everything seemed okay.

"Don't scream," a male voice warned her. "There's no reason for these innocent people to die."

Glancing around, she saw the old woman and the impatient business man. The guy in the hoodie was gone because he was standing behind her.

Melina jumped when his hand touched the back of her neck. Despite being startled, she did not scream, holding it back with gritted teeth. His fingers manipulated her neck as if attempting to massage away the tension he had put there.

"What do you want?" she asked, her insides quivering like jelly. "I don't have much money, but you can have it."

"I don't want your money. I want you. I've missed you, Melina," he whispered, his breath tickling her neck and raising goosebumps over her entire body.

Dabi? How could she not have sensed him? Upon realizing the man was him, not some random attacker, relief poured over every jangled nerve like warm water flowing over her. Pitter patter went her stupid little heart. She would not allow herself to fall back into his arms - or into his bed - again. Not this time.

She tensed up just as quickly as she had relaxed, anger pushing away the sentimental feelings that tried to creep in. Enough damage had been done the last time she let down her guard around him. Forgiving him that time was having more far reaching implications than she could have anticipated. She started to tremble, more from anger than fear.

What was that bastard doing here? Dabi had ended their relationship. He insisted it was better for them to be apart. Why won't he stay away. When faced with the choice of her or the villains, he had chosen the villains. So why the fuck was he here and harassing her? He was the metaphorical bad penny who perpetually turned up in her life.

"Stay still. I won't hurt you," he assured her, misinterpreting her shivering.

Her body lurched forward when a stinging sensation in her hip sent a jolt of pain down her right leg. Despite the hand holding her neck, his fingers extending around the sides, almost meeting in the front, she looked down to see a terrifyingly long needle stabbed into her body, her blood filling the syringe.

"I just need a little. It will be over soon," he said, squeezing her neck lightly.

Melina grabbed the syringe, attempting to pull it out. She whimpered when he pushed the needle in deeper, increasing his grip on her neck until she could not move.

"Do you not understand the precarious position you're in?"

"Are you seriously threatening to kill me? Aren't you going to take me to Shigaraki now like a good dog should?" she inquired acidly. "You are his retriever after all."

"I'm not going to do either of those things," he replied, his voice freakishly calm. "All I want is your blood."

"Dabi, there's something you need to know," she said, inhaling a cleansing breath when his hand dropped from her neck.

"What would that be, my love?" he queried, standing closer to her.

"You've got to stop," she returned, straining to control her rising anger. "We haven't been lovers for quite a while. I will never be your love again. That was by your choice."

"I have missed you, Melina," he repeated.

The snapping and popping of electricity on the rails signaled the train would soon be coming into the small and almost deserted station.

"There's something you need to know," she repeated, turning to face the person who looked like Dabi. "I know it's you Himiko Toga."

"You're a very smart woman. Smarter than I thought you were. How did you know?" Himiko inquired.

The face that appeared to be Dabi's twisted into Himiko's special brand of resting bitch face. Melina cringed having her suspicion confirmed.

"I don't care how much you look like him, I know the man I loved, and you're not him. I could always feel Dabi's presence. He has this aura, an energy I could always feel straight through to my bones when he was near me. But with you I felt absolutely nothing so I knew you weren't him," she explained.

"Well, damn," Himiko sighed in disappointment. "Loved, you say? As in past tense?"

"Yeah, our relationship is a thing of the past," she confirmed. "Bitch, don't act as if you didn't already know."

The clack of the wheels of the train could be heard. It would be here soon.

Melina grabbed the hood of the sweatshirt, pulling down the face of the girl still wearing the elaborate guise of Dabi, crushing her mouth to hers. Surprisingly, she did not have to force her tongue past the yielding lips. Himiko's arms, the size and strength of Dabi's surrounded her shoulders, drawing her close for a far too intimate embrace. Sharp teeth scraped her sensitive tongue, piercing it and drawing blood, making her writhe in the arms holding her prisoner not allowing her to escape.

None of this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be in control of this kiss but clearly she lost it to the impostor who currently sucked her honeyed tongue and relished the metallic flavor of her blood as well. Nausea bubbled in her stomach, bile rising in her throat, as the master of disguise moaned into her mouth enjoying the kiss far too much.

No matter how the queasiness surged inside of her, Melina could not free herself nor did she want to because she had initiated this kiss for a reason. Pressing her hand to the cleverly and elaborately disguised girl's throat, she could feel her swallowing the pheromone laced saliva in addition to her blood.

Finally, Melina could not take it anymore. She wrenched herself free from Himiko. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, she squeezed her eyes closed, swallowing back the vomit filling her mouth. This only made her sicker, forcing her to rush to the nearest trash can to release it. At the moment, she didn't care what the other people waiting on the platform thought about any of this.

"Awww," Himiko/Dabi whined. "The kiss wasn't that bad. I know it couldn't have made you that sick. Are you pregnant or something?"

Melina refused to react in any way that might give away the answer to the taunting question. The absolute last person on earth she wanted to find out about the baby was Himiko Toga. She pressed her lips together and gritted her teeth, to hold back the second wave of bile. Although she knew it wasn't actually him, seeing Dabi's likeness was tearing her apart. This damn morning sickness that struck at any time of day was wearing out her last nerve.

The train pulled into the station behind her, air brakes puffing and the wheels squealing as it came to a stop. Thank god she could escape at last. The doors opened with a hiss and click then people exiting the train weaved around them to go to their destinations.

Melina didn't have much time. Her mind was blank as to what orders she should issue to Himiko. Allowing her anger to drive her as she often did, she said the first things that came to mind.

"Tell Shigaraki to come and get me if he dares. I want him to come himself, not send one of his lap dogs after me like a fucking coward. I'll be waiting. In the future, you will stay the fuck away from me. Do you understand these orders as they have been given to you?" she asked.

"Yes. I understand," Himiko responded as Dabi in a flat, toneless voice.

Melina coughed and gagged, then turned to hop onto the train seconds before the doors closed. Virtually falling into a seat, she shut her eyes tightly as the train moved forward.

God, what a nightmare come to life! She had seen Dabi but actually kissed Himiko Toga; it was two nightmares rolled into one. She needed to get back to the dorm fast before she puked again. Grimacing from the disgusting sour taste in her mouth, she could still feel Himiko's tongue. Oh, this was going to require a lot of tooth-brushing and several bottles of mouthwash to get over.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina hurried into the dorm, running past students in the living room area without greeting them. While climbing the stairs, she began unlocking the handcuff from her wrist. Upon entering her room, she tossed the briefcase onto her bed but forgot to close the door. Dashing to the bathroom, she slammed and locked that door behind her. She was pretty sure at least one person had followed her.

"Melina? Are you all right?" Shoto asked through the door.

Couldn't he hear that she was most certainly NOT all right? She hugged the toilet until the entire contents of her belly had been emptied. She had not eaten since breakfast and had already thrown up once so it didn't take long.

"Melina!" Shoto bellowed, banging on the door as if he meant to break it down with his fists.

"I'll be out in a minute," she said, her voice tremulous. "I think I ate something bad at lunch. Let me grab a quick shower. Will you grab me a drink? A ginger ale?"

"Sure thing. I'll be waiting for you when you get out," he returned.

Melina took a fast, icy cold shower to cool her body and diminish the queasiness. Shivering uncontrollably, she dried off and wrapped up in her gray bathrobe. After brushing her teeth three times and gargling twice, she exited the bathroom a tremoring ball of nerves.

"Where have you been?" Shoto asked, pushing the canned drink into her hands.

He snatched the fuzzy pink blanket from the back of her desk chair, folding it around her body. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to warm her up.

"Where did you go? Why did you leave without telling anyone? Why would you go out alone? What the hell were you thinking? What happened?" he questioned her in rapid succession.

"Are these rhetorical questions or do you want an answer?" she asked, bringing the can to her mouth with trembling hands.

"That depends. Are you going to tell me the truth?" He glared at her, his eyes capturing and holding hers.

"No," she replied with brutal honesty.

"Dammit, you're infuriating," he muttered.

Shoto snatched back the comforter, pushing her down onto the bed. Tossing her pillows into a pile behind her back, he forcefully leaned her against them then covered her up. He watched her as she sipped her ginger ale.

"It's just food poisoning. No big deal. I'll be fine after some rest," she assured him.

"I know something else is going on with you," he said, narrowing his eyes to glare harder at her as if a dirty look would extract the information from her.

"I went to get my father's notebooks for Mei," she admitted, giving him a token of truthful information. "I got sick when I was waiting at the train station."

Melina was being as honest as she could be without saying too much. _A lie of omission is still a lie_. How those words haunted her. She nodded toward the silver case when he stared at her with a dubious expression.

"Look in there, and you'll see I'm telling the truth. The code is ten thirty one," she said when he noticed the lock.

"Halloween?" he asked, rotating the tiny dials to the correct numbers.

"My birthday."

"Oh, that's nice to know."

Shoto pulled out one of the wire bound, five subject notebooks. He flipped through the pages all in various states of damage. All of the sheets were tattered on the edges, several stained with coffee, some folded and creased until they were falling apart while others were full of black blotches where words had been struck out with black marker.

"What are these?" he inquired upon seeing all of the sketches randomly inserted among pages of unreadable handwritten notes.

"I'm giving those notes to Mei because I believe she can truly appreciate them. She can breathe life into some of the inventions my father never got to make. And never will."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," Shoto apologized, closing the notebook and returning it to the case. "Actually, I don't know much of anything about you."

Melina shrugged, avoiding eye contact. She continued nursing the drink that was settling her upset stomach.

"None of it mattered until now I guess," she said, finishing off the drink.

"Why now? What's changed?" he questioned her, taking the empty can to set it on the nearby desk.

Oh, how she wanted to tell him exactly what has changed. Eventually, she would have to tell him. There would come a time when her secret would no longer be hidden no matter how hard she tried.

"I realized you invited me into your life, and I know so much about you, but you know nothing about me. It's not fair," she murmured, her voice hitching from the ball of emotion that formed in her throat.

"I know the important things...like what a kind, loving person you are," he said, pushing a damp pitch black lock behind her ear. "I will learn more about you over time. Besides, where you came from and what's happened in the past doesn't matter."

Shoto took her face between his hands, pressing his palms to her cheeks.

"But it does matter. It does!" Melina exclaimed, placing her hands over his. "God, if you knew some of the things I've done, you would - "

"I don't care," he cut her off.

"You would care. Trust me. You might even hate me."

"I could never hate you."

"But - "

He pressed his lips to hers to make her stop talking. The kiss was unassuming, quick but lingering long enough to allow her to comprehend the sensation of his silky lips on hers. He placed his forehead against hers, still cupping her jaws in both of his hands.

"This is wrong," she said, resisting the temptation to kiss his lips again.

"It feels right to me," he rejoined, giving her another peck on the lips as if to confirm his statement.

"You should go," she implored him, pulling away before he stole a third kiss.

"I know. Tell me something about you," he requested.

When she did not immediately speak, Shoto leaned forward to kiss her that third time. This time his lips remained on hers for at least a full ten seconds. Ten seconds did not sound like a long time until one considers it only takes one second for someone to walk into her room and catch them in their present compromising position.

Melina found the adrenaline rush of tasting forbidden fruit astonishingly addictive. The overpowering need to experience something real, _someone_ real, pushed her to kiss him back. She needed to be kissed by someone who genuinely loved her after her traumatic encounter at the train station. Besides, they could only go so far with a kiss without activating her quirk. That was a sobering thought.

"Shoto, we have to stop," she whispered after pulling her mouth away from his. "I can't let any of the pheromones get into your mouth."

"I don't care," he said. "Give me any order. Do what you wish to me."

"Shoto!" she gasped, shocked and embarrassed by his teasing words.

When he tried to kiss her again, Melina placed her hand over his mouth. Tears burned her eyes.

"You have to stop. I do care. I care...a lot," she confessed, her eyes apprehensively tracking back and forth between his.

Shoto's eyes widened when she gazed into them to relay the deeper meaning of her message without words. He reached up, pulling her hand away from his mouth.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked.

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes yet did not fall. Melina nodded, the lump in her throat growing, choking her.

"There's something, something important, I want to tell you but can't. Not yet," she whispered. "No matter what happens, never forget how I feel about you. I may leave one day soon and -"

"No matter where you go, I'll find you. But stay with me. I'll go with you into Hell and bring you through to the other side."

"I'm glad you feel that way because that's probably exactly where we're going to go. Your love is about to be tested. Soon you'll know if you really love me or not."

"Todoroki! Miss Zusa! Where are you?" Bakugo hollered up the stairs.

Upon hearing their names being bellowed, they broke apart, trying to wipe the guilty expressions off their faces. Shoto leapt off the bed to sit in the desk chair while Melina covered herself up to her chin with the comforter and blanket.

"Aizawa is looking for you!" he shouted.

Bless Bakugo's dear heart, using his talent for being loud and obnoxious, he had warned them and saved them all from an extremely uncomfortable situation that would undoubtedly have terrible consequences.

"Bakugo, thank you so much but I do not need a herald!" Aizawa exclaimed, projecting his voice back down the stairs seconds before entering Melina's room through the open door. "What's going on?"

"Miss Zusa is sick so I brought her a drink," Shoto explained, pointing to the soda can on the desk behind him.

"What's wrong with you?" the perpetually grouchy man demanded.

"Food poisoning I think," she replied.

"I'll bring you up some miso soup and a salad. You need the nutrients, but it shouldn't upset your stomach further."

"I can get it," Shoto offered.

"I'll do it," Aizawa insisted. "You get out. This is highly inappropriate. You shouldn't be on this side of the dorm anyway. Males aren't allowed."

"You're in here," he pointed out on his way to the door.

"Out!" Aizawa turned his attention back to Melina. "Did something happen in here I need to know about?"

"Nope. Absolutely nothing you need to know about," she answered honestly.

"I'll get Uraraka to bring up your food," he muttered as he exited her room.

When he was gone, Melina noisily expelled the breath it felt like she had been holding since the man walked into her room. Snuggling into her pillows, she tried to stay awake for the food but fell asleep.

She needed sleep more than food. Tomorrow they would practicing for the big event.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Dabi lay in his bed, in the dark and all alone. But he was thinking about her. Ever since Himiko had left on her assignment to hunt down Melina, he could not stop thinking about her.

Despite how much time had passed, he could clearly remember the cheerful sound of her laugh, the beauty of her smile, the vanilla lavender scent of her hair, the softness of her skin. The pleasure he received from her body went beyond sex. What he felt with her was sublime, soothing to his soul and fulfilling to his heart. She had given him a precious gift beyond orgasms. She had loved him, and he had loved her. But they were both idiots thinking it would never end.

Dabi sighed rolling over on his side to face the blank wall. The sound of his door opening and closing almost escaped his attention he was thinking so intently about Melina.

"Dabi."

Was that her voice? Was it his imagination or had he finally gone crazy? Worse yet, perhaps Himiko had found her and brought her here.

Dabi lay still, pretending to be asleep. He kept his body relaxed as the person climbed into bed behind him.

The body definitely belonged to a woman. She pressed her breasts flat to his bare back, her arm and leg hooking themselves over his body. The soft kiss on the back of his neck made every muscle in his entire body tense.

"Dabi," she whispered, her breath tickling the back of his neck and making the skin prickle.

"So Himiko found you?" he asked. "Why are you coming to me so willingly?"

"I allowed Himiko to bring me here to you. I wanted to see you. I've missed you," she said.

The Melina he knew would not allow herself to be ensnared so easily. And he seriously doubted she ever wanted to see him again. Besides, Shigaraki would have her locked up somewhere to make damn sure she didn't escape.

The hand stroking his chest felt good. He missed her touch. But this woman wasn't her.

"Himiko, stop and get out," he ordered her, pushing her hand away as it moved downward across his abdomen.

"But it's me, Melina," she insisted when he turned to look at her.

"Enough already," he muttered, unable to avoid looking at her bare breasts which had Melina's scars on them. "I will admit you copied her quite nicely even down to the scars."

"Not good enough apparently," Himiko sighed, scooting off the bed.

Dabi watched as she took his t-shirt and pulled it over her head to cover up her naked body. She had transformed back into herself since he called her bluff. There was no reason to expend unnecessary energy keeping up the disguise.

"Obviously you did see her since you were able to get her blood and transform into her," he stated instead of asking.

"I kissed her too," she told him, sitting back down on the bed beside him.

She apparently enjoyed torturing him by the sadistic giggle of dark glee she let out after seeing the shocked expression on his face.

"Did you tell Shigaraki anything?" he asked her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.

"Ow!" she squealed as if he had injured her.

Although he doubted it hurt, he let her go anyway. "Did you say anything?"

"Of course I did! That stupid bitch ordered me to give him a message. She was actually dumb enough to antagonize him." She pouted in disappointment. "For some reason, I haven't been able to use her quirk. Honestly, I think she's totally useless. I think it's all an act, and Twice wanted to do those things."

She leaned toward him, gliding her fingers up his abdomen from his belly button. Dabi slapped her hand away.

"I can see why you liked her so much. She was a really great kisser. I bet she was an even better fuck. I'm disappointed I didn't get to find out how good you are," she sighed.

"Get out, Himiko," he snarled at her through his clenched teeth.

"By the way, I have something important to tell you about your ex-girlfriend that might be of interest," she said, standing up from his bed.

"What could you possibly tell me about her that I would actually care to know?" he muttered irritably. _Or didn't already know about her._

"I took a little of her blood to the good Doctor Ujiko," she said, picking at her fingernails and stalling.

 _There was nothing good about that psychopath. Would you just fucking leave already?,_ Dabi thought to himself, wanting to stew in his misery alone.

"Your girlfriend - "

"Ex-girlfriend," he butted in to correct her. "You just said it yourself, moron."

"Anyway," she huffed, twisting a lock of her blond hair around finger. "Your precious, wonderful Melina is pregnant! Isn't that a hoot?! If it weren't for bad luck, that woman would have no luck at all!"

Dabi couldn't breathe. Pregnant? The how was obvious. The why immaterial. But it didn't stop the questions from battering his baffled brain. His lungs ached reminding him to inhale. Compelling himself to remain calm, reclaiming his unconcerned facade, he leaned back against the wall with his arms casually folded behind his head.

"Why should I care if she's already fucked somebody else and gotten knocked up?"

"What makes you think it's someone else's kid? See, that's the really good part...the punchline to this sick joke. The doctor ran tests. Congratulations, Dabi," she said, opening the door. Before leaving, she had to get in one more good stab to his heart after he humiliated her by rejecting her. "Too bad she hates your damn guts, and you've lost her forever. Good night."

Dabi picked up the empty but heavy lead crystal shot glass from the nightstand and threw it at the closed door, shattering it into a thousand pieces. He ran his hands through his hair, grasping handfuls as if he might rip it out in frustration.

Holding his throbbing head between his hands, he could not stop the machine gun like spray of thoughts bombarding his brain. Rash and speaking before thinking as always, Melina had all but invited Shigaraki to kill her to take her quirk.

Damn Shigaraki. That ten gallons of crazy in a five gallon bucket wouldn't give a damn about her being pregnant and spare her life.

The tests have to be wrong. He couldn't be the father. That can't be true. If she is actually pregnant, the baby has to belong to someone else. Shoto? She had already been _friends_ with him for who knows how long. That would explain why the doctor mistook the DNA for his. He was a kook after all so of course he made an error reading the results.

Denial came easy for Dabi. For too many years he had denied his very own name, his identity entirely. He denied his past and his future, living only in the present. Most of all, he denied he was his father's son.

He and Enji Todoroki both shared the personality trait of excessive pride that barged right into the territory of conceit and egomania. They rejected love and anyone who wanted to give it to them. Admitting he was like his father would be more than he could handle. There was no way he could be a father.

Himiko said she could not use Melina's quirk. Obviously, she would want to be an _exact_ copy of Melina down to her quirk so she could successfully seduce him. That ability would have enabled her to get what she wanted from him despite failing to trick him into having sex with her. He shuddered from the thought. Why couldn't she use the Queen Bee's ability?

"Oh, my god," he gasped, his frenzied brain somehow immediately grasping the reason. "Why didn't I see this before? And Shigaraki is too stupid to figure it out. Not that he'd care. Dammit!"

The answer to her quirk, the source of her power was in her name and no one had realized what had been right in front of them all along. Her quirk was not inherently her own because it came from the bees. They had chosen her, to endow her with the power by making her their Queen. She had even told him that, but he never put much thought into it after that. If the bees were destroyed, she would no longer have her quirk.

"Dumb ass. You stupid fucking bastard," he berated himself.

Dabi opened his palm, creating a flame. As if mesmerized, he gazed into the blue fire meant for destruction. This problem could have been solved a long time ago by burning the hive. Her quirk would have disappeared like magic.

If only he had known then what he knows now. Shigaraki's infatuation could have been quashed before it became a more personal matter involving his fragile ego and evolved into single minded obsession. Besides, the man was like a runaway train that could not be stopped. He would stop at nothing to please All for One, his mentor.

But it was already too late for her anyway. Even if she lost her quirk, Shigaraki would still murder her to avoid further humiliation from her and to save face. There was no hope for her.

He closed his hand into a fist, extinguishing the flame. What did he care? She wasn't his problem anymore. He had already rebuilt that wall around his heart. She had moved on. So had he. He had chosen to reject and leave his family behind so a woman who was a veritable stranger was no big deal. The heroes could do what they do best and try to save that lost cause.

"She's all yours, little brother."


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Thank you to AstroLibra, hinatayvonne, bbymojo, NamelessDude 13, Terrence Johnny Stanford, and Justtryingnameshere. Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and for continuing to read the story. Favorites and follows are always appreciated as well so thank you for that.

Buckle up, Buttercups, this is going to be a bumpy ride. I did my best to catch all errors but this was an excessively grueling chapter not only in length (I know, but it's long to me) and content. Please forgive any typos or grammatical errors I missed. I'll admit some content might be hard to handle. You'll understand when you get there. I swear there is a method to my madness.

* * *

All Might, Detective Tsukauchi, Aizawa, Principal Nezu, and Endeavor stood in the middle of the street in the mock up city training ground. The detective glanced at his watch. Aizawa leaned against the wall of a nearby building as if preparing to take a nap standing up. Principal Nezu conversed with All Might about organizing the sham 'meet the hero' event. Endeavor paced impatiently, occasionally glowering at one of the men around him.

Suddenly a canister hit the pavement with a metallic clang in the center of the wide circle they had created. The pin ejected itself from the rigged handle on contact releasing the smoke. Four of the men quickly retreated a safe distance away knowing what was coming next. One stayed behind, left clueless and alone.

"What the hell?!" Endeavor bellowed, turning in circles.

A small figure in grey burst through the smokescreen to deliver a flying kick to Endeavor's chest below his breastbone. With a back handspring, the figure disappeared back into the smoke.

The powerful kick made his diaphragm seize up which prevented him from breathing momentarily as he stumbled backwards from the momentum of the kick. Unable to inhale enough air to fill his lungs, he grew dizzy, dropping to his knees with a hand pressed to his upper abdomen massaging the muscle while he wheezed like an asthmatic waiting for his lungs to inflate.

"The Magician has arrived," All Might announced in his booming voice.

He called her by the nickname given to her by her students due to her use of smoke and trickery when fighting. Detective Tsukauchi did a double take of his friend, noting the expression on his face was not unlike that of a proud father.

There was something satisfying about seeing the massive, arrogant man down on his knees, struggling to breathe. Melina stood still, waiting for the smoke to disperse, and Endeavor to regain his breath.

Endeavor stood to his feet, raising his hand with all four fingers pointed toward her. Thin lines of fire ejected from his fingertips as if each one was an individual miniature flame thrower. He only administered a two second blast as not to kill her, only to scare her. She was just a little girl pretending to be a hero after all.

To his surprise and disappointment, she did not even flinch. The flames surrounded her but did not burn the suit. Within seconds the fire burned itself out having nothing to fuel it. There was not a single scorch mark on the grey material.

Melina stomped forward, obviously angry, kicking at his hand to prevent him from shooting another firestorm at her. Snatching one of the batons from its holder at her waist, she extended it, smacking him across his large square jaw with it. The length of the baton adding to her reach assisted her greatly when attacking a target much taller than her like the mountain of a man standing in front her.

Endeavor's head wrenched to the side hard enough to almost give him whiplash. For a moment, everything went black and stars appeared. He swayed from side to side before regaining his balance. The shocking power of her strike almost toppled him like a skyscraper.

"Damn!" he yelled, swiftly swinging his head back to her. "That hurt!"

"Oh, holy shit," gasped Aizawa, awed and slightly amused by her pulling no punches in the most literal sense. He wasn't sure at the time, not knowing her true strength or fighting prowess, but now he knew she had been taking it easy on her students.

Without allowing Endeavor time to fire back up, Melina held the baton with both hands, using the weapon like a bat to deliver a punishing wallop to his wrist as if striving to send a baseball over the fence. She didn't care if she broke it. He was so fucking tough he could deal with the pain and get a cast, healing the old-fashioned way.

She pressed the end of the baton to his upper abdomen. For a second time, she attacked his diaphragm, sending a jolt of electricity through the muscle to make it spasm disrupting his ability to breathe. She had been careful with her positioning of the weapon as not to affect his heart and upset its rhythm.

"Grrrr, dammit!" Endeavor growled, his flames leaping away from body as his fury fueled the fire.

The number one hero raised his other hand, unleashing his wrath upon her in a hellish explosion of flames. With a conceited sneer on his face, convinced he had gotten the best of her, he intensified the flame, turning it blue.

"Enji, stop!" All Might yelled. "You'll kill her!"

Melina was unable to move, hypnotized by the sight of the blue flames. God, Dabi really was his son. Although she already knew the source of his patriarchal heritage, seeing tangible proof firsthand was like a jarring slap in the face.

Mei had added a cooling system to the suit that circulated liquid nitrogen through a network of tubes installed between a layer of fabric against Melina's skin and the outer material of the suit. Despite the cooling mechanism, sweat ran down her face and back. She had to act to save herself before he boiled her alive in her own sweat.

Calmly moving forward, Melina walked through the concentrated inferno to face the man who she would swear meant to kill her. Her walking through the wall of flame on par with the fires of hell stunned him.

After he dropped his hand, she removed the mask, pushing the hood back so he could see her face. The air cooled the sweat on her face, offering her relief from the intense heat that had been like baking in the late summer sun. She waited for his eyes to meet hers. They glared at each other, waiting for the other to say something first.

"Are you all right?" Endeavor asked her.

"Huh?" the observers grunted in unison. Was Endeavor actually concerned for her well being?

"I'm fine," she replied tersely.

"You're one tough bitch," he said in a manner that hardly sounded complimentary.

"Thank you," she responded, taking his statement as a compliment no matter how he meant it.

"Will you have dinner with me tonight?' he asked.

"What the hell is happening here?" muttered Aizawa.

"I have no idea what's happening here," Principal Nezu responded to Aizawa. The legendary strategist, a master of predictability, had not foreseen this bizarre development.

"Did he just ask her out on a date?" All Might asked his friend, hoping he had heard wrong.

"I think he just asked her out on a date," Detective Tsukauchi helpfully confirmed even though All Might didn't want to hear that answer.

"Aren't you a married man?" Melina questioned the flaming hero with the conceited smirk.

"It's not a date," he assured her. "Think of it as an apology dinner for going a little overboard today."

Melina knew he was not one to apologize - EVER - no matter how wrong he was about anything.

"You did get a bit out of hand. We all know how powerful you are. There was no need to use excessive force like that," she casually admonished him.

"So about that dinner...what do you say?"

 _What the fuck is this fresh new hell?_ , Melina thought to herself.

This man never did anything without having ulterior motives. Despite being a hero, he never did nice things for other people at all unless it shed a positive light on himself. How would dinner with her benefit him? Her unhealthy inquisitiveness spurred her to accept the invitation to find out exactly what trick he had up his sleeve.

"Sure. Why not?"

~\\..'../~

* * *

"YOU'RE DOING WHAT?!" Shoto shouted at the top of his lungs.

Birds took flight from their roosts in the trees around the dorm building after being scared away by burst of noise from the rooftop.

"Shhhh!" she hissed in his face, clapping her hand over his mouth. "I'm going to dinner with your father."

Shoto seized her wrist, pulling her hand away from his mouth.

"I heard you the first time," he growled through his clenched teeth. "God, it sounds twice as worse the second time around. What the hell, Melina?"

"It's not a date," she clarified. "I'm curious to see what sinister plan he has running around in that big, hot head of his."

"You know what they say about curiosity, right? I really wish you wouldn't do this," he murmured, placing his hands on her hips.

Melina backed away from him, crossing the roof to the other side. She did not really want to do this either, but there were important questions she wanted to ask that man. There was a conversation she wanted to have with him that could only take place in a more private situation away from the school.

"I can only imagine what awful, obscene thoughts are in his head," Shoto muttered behind her. "At least you're aware my father never does anything without knowing it will benefit him in some way. Everything he does, he does for himself. So you're not being completely stupid."

"I'm only being a little bit stupid," she said jokingly, attempting to add a tiny bit of lightness to the heavy conversation.

"It's not funny," he sighed in exasperation.

"I know. It's not funny at all," she agreed.

Melina turned around to face him. She ran her fingers through his red hair as his eyes held hers. Her fingers gingerly brushed over the scar, trembling as she traced the ragged edge of the permanent mark. Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to the damaged flesh that was silky smooth under her lips.

Lowering herself back down to the soles of her feet, she smiled up at him, holding on to the lapels of his school jacket. She wanted to tell him her very big, extremely important secret - all of them actually.

Melina was acutely aware that it wasn't fair to him for her to continue to hide such vital information that could effect his emotions so adversely. He had experienced the disappointment and betrayal that comes with secrets suddenly being revealed too many times in his life.

"Shoto, you and I need to have an extremely important conversation soon. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, not exactly sure what he was agreeing to.

"I've got to go get ready."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina was stepping out of the shower when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Hastily toweling off, she pulled on her robe. There was a second knock on her door while she wrapped a towel around her head to keep her wet hair from dripping everywhere.

"I'm coming!" she called as she walked to the door to avoid a third knock.

"There was a delivery for you, Miss Zusa," Momo returned.

 _A delivery of what?_ , Melina wondered, opening the door.

Her belly twisted into knots of apprehension when she saw Momo standing there cradling a bouquet of a dozen orange roses. What an interesting color choice. The color of fire, signifying something intense, consuming, hot, and burning. She knew orange roses symbolized fierce passion and fervid desire.

 _Goddamit._

The fact the seemingly shallow, inconsiderate Enji Todoroki knew what they meant astonished her. He was right when he said this wasn't a date. It was a seduction. Otherwise why would he not only send her flowers but ones of such an uncommon color choice?

"What the fuck?" she muttered, staring at the flowers as if they were a live snake.

Melina spotted the small white card nestled among the orange blossoms as big as her fist. Once again, her curiosity pushed her into action by snatching the card out to read it.

 _I will be sending a car for you. Be at the front gate at 7:30._ She could hear his voice in her head giving her the order written on the card. What the ever living hell?

"Miss Zusa? Are you all right?" Momo asked, a deep frown of concern turning down the corners of her mouth.

"Throw those away," she croaked, clearing her congested throat.

"Ma'am?"

"Get rid of them."

"Well, okay, if that's what you want," Momo said, studying the flowers as she walked away if to try to see what her teacher saw that terrified her.

Melina closed the door, leaning against it. For a second time, she had accepted an invitation and gotten in over her head. History repeated itself too much in her life.

She glanced at the clock on her desk. 7:25. He can just fucking wait.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina slowly proceeded toward the front gate at 8:20. Each step was deliberate, the heel of her gold Roman style sandal being carefully placed on the ground before she lifted her other foot to proceed forward. She wore a short, white, sleeveless sheath dress, a gold braided belt around her waist.

Shoto had given her a disapproving scowl as she passed by him to leave. He never said a word because his expression said everything. He was part of the reason she wanted to get his father alone to speak with him.

Ever since she met Dabi, there were questions she wanted to ask Enji Todoroki. As she continued to meet more members of the Todoroki clan, the number of questions she had increased. She thought her brain might explode if she didn't get answers soon.

Some people might believe it wasn't her place to ask such things, but she had become a part of this family in a permanent way whether she wanted to or not. Even if marriage was not in the future or contact ceased in all forms, she would always hold a part of them near and dear because of the baby.

Queasiness crept into Melina's gut but this nausea had nothing to with morning sickness. Placing her hand on her belly, she thought about the baby to find her courage.

"I have to do this," she told herself, taking slow measured breaths as she approached the gate.

A black stretch limousine sat on the curb complete with liveried driver in the customary black suit and tie standing beside the car patiently waiting for her. When he said car, she expected a taxi not a ride fit for a prom date.

The man stepped forward, opening the gate for her. After closing it, he moved quickly back to the car to open the door. His face was red from the heat. The rivulets of sweat coursing down his face had trickled down his neck and soaked the collar of his white shirt.

 _Poor guy._ Melina felt guilty for leaving him out here to wait so long. She had accidentally punished the poor driver in her attempt to passively aggressively refuse to acquiesce to the strict orders of the fiery tyrant.

Melina looked around the interior of the luxurious limousine. All black leather, soft and smooth as a metaphorical baby's butt. There was a fully stocked bar and a refrigerator. Opening the refrigerator, she took out a chilled bottle of water.

Moving on her knees across the wide gap between the seat and the raised panel separating her and the driver, she knocked on the glass with her knuckle. When the man lowered the glass, she unscrewed the cap and passed the bottle through.

"Here. You need this," she said, pushing it at him.

"I can't ma'am," he returned, his body stiffening.

"You can because I'm giving it to you. Take it," she commanded him, waving the bottle at him.

"Ma'am, I can't," he insisted, his jaw tightening.

"Do you want me to complain to your boss that you defied a direct request from his guest?"

The man released a defeated yet relieved sigh. He took the water and immediately began to drink, chugging the whole thing in a matter of seconds.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. This heat is unbearable already. Summer has arrived early this year," she remarked, making small talk with the man. "Where are you taking me?"

"Todoroki Manor," he responded in a professional clipped tone.

 _Manor? Holy Hell._ So Shoto was a rich kid. She should have guessed by his father's attitude of entitlement. but she assumed that was all ego. Shoto hid the fact he came from a wealthy family.

Melina moved back into the seat, taking out a can of ginger ale for herself to settle her queasy tummy. There was plenty of wine and hard liquor, however, circumstances dictated she could not indulge in those to calm her nerves.

A tall, white stone wall surrounded the entire property. The entrance gate rolled back via a motorized system when the car pulled up to it. Once it was open, the car crawled around the semi-circular driveway covered in small stones to stop in front of the house that truly was a mansion: a two-story, L-shaped traditional home that appeared to have been in the family for centuries but also looked new at the same time.

The driver opened her door, holding out his hand to assist her with getting out of the car. Melina took a moment to stare at the sprawling mansion, allowing herself to be awed by its size and beauty - and the decadence it represented.

The front door slid back. An older woman bowed in greeting. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She was wearing a traditional kimono in the ostentatious colors of red, orange, and gold.

"Good evening, Miss. Welcome to our home. The master awaits you. Come, I will take you to him," the woman said, waving a gnarled hand to beckon her inside.

Although issued with the utmost politeness, she still recognized the woman's invitation as an order from the master of the house. Melina walked up the few steps, crossing the wide porch to the door where she paused to bow to greet the woman.

After stepping inside, she removed her sandals, placing them beside the lower step, toes pointed at the door. She expected to be given a pair of slippers or at least socks. The woman shuffled off, and she had no choice but to follow.

The highly polished dark wood floor was cool and smooth on the soles of her feet. She nervously wound the strap of her purse around her fingers as she almost tiptoed down the hall behind the woman.

The lights cast a comforting, warm glow in the corridor. The seemingly endless Shoji screens made of pristine white paper and lighter colored wood gave the area a lightness and sense of openness despite being closed. She had expected a dark, dungeon-like atmosphere in a house that was something akin to a prison to its inhabitants.

The woman finally stopped in front of a room, pulling back the screen. The woman bowed to her master, announcing the arrival of his guest.

Enji Todoroki filled the all but empty room, his presence oppressive and almost overwhelming. He had extinguished his flames. He looked like a normal man - just a really big, hulking mass of a man. He was wearing a plain black v-neck shirt and jeans, sitting cross legged on a pillow at a short legged table. A bottle of sake and a single cup sat in front of him.

Melina dutifully bowed, feeling as if she had to in order to adhere to the strict sense of traditionalism exhibited. She waited to be invited into the monster's lair.

"Hana, please bring more sake," he ordered her, his deep voice almost reverberating inside the room.

"Please, may I request tea?" Melina asked, addressing the woman directly.

She didn't know if that was subverting his role as master of the household. She wasn't sure about how staunchly traditional etiquette worked. Honestly, she didn't care. She knew she couldn't drink alcohol but was terribly thirsty.

"Yes, Miss," the woman named Hana answered, bowing to her.

Melina entered the room foregoing his permission which was implied since he invited her here. Despite the fact it put her closer to him, she down on the right side of the table to his left rather than facing him which would put her back to the door.

"I didn't think you would come," he said, picking up the cup to drink. He looked as if he was holding a teacup from a child's tea set.

"Why wouldn't I? How could I resist such an enticing invitation from the infamous and famous number one hero," she said, hoping the sarcasm didn't filter through her voice.

Enji chuckled, a low rumbling sound coming straight from his barrel chest. A smile looked good on him. It softened his turquoise eyes from rock hard circles to pools the color of the sea.

Melina studied the scar on his face since it was not obscured by his flames. What could have happened to him? Was it because of something he did due to his over-inflated ego, causing himself unnecessary harm? Or was it something done to him as a child, spawning a legacy of abuse that would mark all of the Todoroki men both physically and emotionally?

"Do I have something on my face?" he inquired, his deep voice startling her.

"What?" she gasped.

"You were staring at me. Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing."

"You are a terrible liar."

"Your - " She stopped herself before blabbering that two of his sons had told her the same exact thing. At least they could all agree on something. "You are so right. I apologize for staring. I was just curious about that scar."

"Curiosity can be a dangerous thing, Miss Zusa. There are some things you're better not knowing," he stated cryptically.

Melina's entire body tightened with apprehension. His tone was threatening, warning her to not to pursue the matter. His eyes had once again turned to icy shards.

Hana returned with her tea and a refill for her master at a most advantageous time. Her quiet bustling prevented them from having to endure an awkward silence. Along with the drinks, she brought bowls of miso soup and steamed pork dumplings.

Melina didn't expect such simple comforting food, but she was glad for it. Eating presented her with a distraction as well as sustenance.

"I hear you have gotten yourself into a spot of trouble with the villains. So tell me, how did a sweet little thing like you manage to do that?" Enji questioned her bluntly, not bothering to tiptoe around the subject.

"How much did the Detective and All Might tell you?" she asked, pouring herself some tea from the small white pot decorated with bright red poppies.

"Only that Tomura Shigaraki is interested in your quirk. He wants to steal it from you no matter what it takes. He's willing to kill you to get it," he said.

"That's the gist of it," she replied without offering more details.

"Come now, my dear. I'm sure there's a whole lot more to that story."

His mouth lifted on one side into a provocative little smirk as if tempting her to tell him the story. Wow. He was indeed handsome and could be quite charming. Something else the Todoroki men shared in spades: looks and charm.

"Of course there is," she responded in a low, almost breathy voice. She leaned forward as if she meant to whisper her secret in his ear. When he leaned down, she spoke in her normal voice, "I'm just not going to tell you."

Melina smiled pleasantly at him when he winced away from her, irritation pinching his eyebrows together over his nose. She watched his lips compress into a thin white line in his face.

Loudly sipping her soup, she added an annoyance factor that successfully grated across his nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. The muscle in his jaw writhed under his skin as it worked in desperation to keep his mouth shut.

"About your quirk. Is it really that special?"

The tone behind the question was definitely demeaning, clearly expressing doubt of her abilities. Too bad for him she didn't care what he thought. Unlike him, she did not find her identity in her power, not taking pride in her quirk at all. Coming to terms with her quirk, developing a tolerance to it, had been a recent development.

"I don't think it's that special," she answered after finishing her soup.

"Will you show me how it works?" His eyebrow jumped up almost imperceptibly as if his face had betrayed his salacious thoughts.

"Hmmm," she murmured pensively, picking up one of the dumplings.

Melina placed the whole thing in her mouth, chewing with deliberate slowness to stall for time and vex him with the wait. He wasn't a patient man, but he was having to be one to keep up the facade of charm in order to complete his seduction. By the time she swallowed the dumpling, Hana arrived with the second course of the meal.

Melina studied the work of art on a plate set before her. Pickled radishes sliced so thinly she could see the pattern of the cherry blossoms on the plate through them formed a crescent around a sushi stack: a small square of rice covered with minuscule slices of avocado and cucumber then topped with a cube of salmon.

This was the kind of food she had been expecting. She hoped there was about half a dozen or so more of these to come. She was hungry.

"Wouldn't you rather me tell you about it than show you?" she asked after eating the tidbit that intensified her appetite rather than sating it.

Enji Todoroki inhaled a deep breath through his nose. She couldn't tell if he was being dramatic or doing his best to hold his temper. Probably both.

"I'm more of a show me kind of man," he said.

When he reached for the sake bottle, Melina picked it up, filling his cup.

"Maybe after dinner," she responded, deciding she would play his game. "Before or after dessert?"

Melina did her best to maintain her coquettish grin while he stared at her like he wanted _her_ to be dessert. God. Poor Rei was all she could think as this asshole over here continued staring at her like she was something on tonight's menu.

The dinner seemed to last forever, a constant parade of tiny one bite dishes peppered with uncomfortable innuendos from the host. So many things about this felt wrong to her. By the time they reached dessert she was almost in physical pain from the covert flirting involving coy glances and sexually nuanced conversation.

Melina suffered under the burden of guilt. She felt the crushing need to apologize to Rei Todoroki despite having done nothing wrong with her husband and having no intention of doing anything wrong with him.

"Would you prefer tea or coffee with your dessert, ma'am?" Hana asked while gathering the dishes from their final main course dish.

"Coffee, please. Hana, where is the restroom?" Melina inquired, not wanting to ask Enji.

"The door at the end of the hall on the right."

Melina felt like her eyeballs were floating because she had drank so much tea. She rolled up onto her knees from her position of sitting with her legs folded to the side to maintain her modesty. If she had known he would be dressed so casually, she would have worn her jeans instead of a dress.

Enji surprised her by standing up. He moved in front of her before she could stand up from her position on her knees. Looking up, way up, she saw him bending from his waist like a tree bending in the wind from a typhoon.

He placed his massive paws under her arms. His hands were warm, soft against her bare skin as he lifted her like a child. He actually held her up, her feet dangling in the air, forcing her to look down at him.

She felt even more like a vulnerable child. She was at his mercy, and he knew it by the way grinned up at her. He could have killed her today had he made his mind up to do so. It was as if he was reminding her who was really in charge here. He held her life in his hands, presently quite literally, before setting her down on her feet.

"Th-thank y-you," she stuttered, looking away from him.

Melina all but ran down the hall to the bathroom. After completing her initial reason to be there, she stood at the sink washing her hands wishing she could splash the cold water on her face. Although the water would cool her off, it would ruin her make up, making her look like a raccoon as her mascara melted off.

After drying her hands, she leaned against the counter, closing her eyes. Being with Enji Todoroki was trying her nerves more than she expected. She could see so much of his sons in him in all ways both in appearance and personality.

Enji Todoroki had transformed into a completely different person when alone with her. He was polite, entertaining, showing hints of kindness and genuine concern amid the philandering tendencies and insinuation of her becoming his next mistress.

Judging by his actions tonight and the fact he locked his wife away in a hospital, Melina had no doubt he had many mistresses in the past and would have more in the future. She had no desire to be his present plaything, but she wanted him to think she did. The only way she would ever become a Todoroki mistress was if it involved one of his sons.

Melina inhaled deeply to steel her nerves. Upon exiting the bathroom, she saw Hana waiting for her in the hall.

"Miss, the master has retired to his private rooms and would like for me to take you there."

 _Private rooms? Oh, shit._

Melina followed the woman as she took a left to enter a completely different section of the house. The lights were dimmer along this hall. _Mood lighting. Oh, god._ Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Hana stopped several doors down, extending her hand as a sign for Melina to continue down the hall to the door that stood open.

 _Here goes everything including my dignity but hopefully not my convictions_ , she thought to herself, clutching her purse with both hands until her knuckles turned white and started to ache.

Melina entered the open door. There was a low couch that appeared to be made out of overstuffed bean bag chairs covered in a black microfiber material. She tossed her purse onto the couch.

A round table made of some kind of reddish colored wood sat in front of it. Tendrils of white steam rose from the cups of coffee beside the slices of spongy yet creamy looking cheesecake.

There were also bottles of water on the table. Just how long did he plan on them being in here?

The door leading to the porch was open, drawing her outside to find her host. He was leaning against a post, his back to her, smoking a cigarette.

"I've meet your wife. She's a lovely woman," Melina declared, deciding it was time to put all of her cards on the table in this game.

"I suppose Shoto took you to meet her," he stated rather than asked. "I guess that's good. I'm glad the boy is trying to make amends with the psycho."

Melina stumbled backwards a few steps because his harsh words had been like a sucker punch in her gut.

"The boy is stronger than I thought. He might amount to something someday after all."

At last, the Enji Todoroki she knew arrived to the party.

"Both of them are stronger than you can even imagine. How dare you say such vile and cruel things about them," she snarled, glaring at his wide back.

"Just who the fuck do you think you are, Melina Zusa?" he questioned her in a disturbingly calm voice without turning to look at her. He kept smoking his cigarette as if they were discussing a trivial matter such as the weather. "What the hell do you know about any of it? You have no idea about any of the private matters of this family so it's best you keep your fucking mouth shut."

"I'm sure I know more than you think," she returned, her voice quivering slightly.

 _DAMMIT!_ She did not want to show weakness in front of him. Obviously, he hated weakness of any kind. He would prefer bullshit and bravado over anyone daring to show their true emotions especially if they involved a weakness such as fear.

"Here's something you don't know," she said, gulping to push down the lump in her throat. "I found your oldest son, Toya."

"Yeah. So what?" He still could not be bothered to give her his full attention, keeping his back to her and lighting another cigarette instead.

"Do you know who he is now? His present identity."

"No. And I can say that I don't care to know," he replied.

Melina stared at the muscled wall of his back, disbelieving he had so casually dismissed what was meant to be an earth shattering statement, rocking his world. He couldn't possibly care less and that stabbed her in the heart like a dagger.

"That kid left home ten years and never looked back. As far as I'm concerned, he's no longer my son. He hasn't been a part of this family for a very long time and never will be again."

"You are a piece of work. There's so many things I could call you, but I'm afraid you might actually take them as a compliment," she said.

Enji finally turned his head to look at her. He was actually smiling at her, a genuine smile.

"It's shocking how well you know me. Yet you're still here. What do you really want from me?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure anymore. I came here with a goal in mind, but I've lost it," she confessed, feeling like a steadily deflating balloon.

"Do you want me to tell what happened to my first son?" he asked, rotating his big body to face her.

"Why would you?"

He certainly would not offer the information out of the goodness of his heart. She was wary of his intentions. What payment would he demand in return? Since his subtle seduction failed would he resort to more aggressive measures of bargaining? Give and take of a special kind.

"There's something I like about you. I can't explain it. You're not afraid of me. You're not fawning over me or pushing your tits in my face. Not once have you tried gaining my favor by kissing my big, fat, flaming ass," he said bluntly, pausing to take a drag from his cigarette.

Melina didn't say a word. He rendered her completely speechless.

"In fact, you've done everything possible to show me how much you hate me. You even tried breaking my damn jaw and my wrist today. I think you would have enjoyed it had you succeeded," he said, dropping the cigarette into the container at his feet.

Melina quickly sobered from his truthful words. She would have immensely enjoyed causing him pain even if it was just physical. He seemed to know her pretty well.

"I planned to help you the whole time. The harebrained scheme is good press, putting me in the spotlight. I just acted that way to test you, to see if you would be willing to fight for it. You have the lethal tongue of venomous viper. Right then I knew I would do anything for you."

Although her knees were shaking, threatening to drop her to the floor, she was frozen to the spot as the human mountain lumbered toward her. She inhaled sharply when he dropped to his knees in front of her. In a kneeling position he came eye to eye with her. Her lips parted in her desperate desire to pull in more air to her starved lungs that couldn't get enough.

"Rei is my wife, but I don't love her. She was the perfect match for me physically and financially," he said.

Melina stared at him. Why was he telling her this? Maybe her true quirk wasn't the mind control through pheromones at all. She had a weird ability to get inside men's heads and make them confess their deepest, darkest secrets without laying a finger on them. Or perhaps that special skill only worked on men bearing the Todoroki name.

"So you're telling me you only wanted her for her quirk and her money?" she asked for absolute understanding.

"The quirk, yes. The money was unimportant. I had plenty of my own. I wanted to create the perfect child, the ultimate quirk user combining the opposing powers of fire and ice. But Shoto was weak and so was his mother."

Melina's knees betrayed her, buckling under the weight of his words. She felt his arms go around her to keep her from falling. He held her gently in his strong arms that were like two iron bars bracing her up.

"Rei wouldn't allow me to make him strong. She coddled him, making him weak, sensitive. So after she burned him, I put her in the hospital not only to protect him, but to protect her as well. What kind of woman harms her child like that?" he asked without expecting an answer.

How could he ask such a question after the damage he had dealt to his entire family?

She grew weaker, leaning more heavily on his arms. His hand opened up, supporting her back. His palm spanned the entire distance between her shoulder blades.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice quivering as much as her body.

"No one ever wanted to hear my side of the story. I've kept it all inside for so long. I - " He stopped talking, reaching up to brush his fingertips across her cheek then run his fingers through her hair that streamed down in loose waves. "I've never had anyone listen to what I've gone through."

"What makes you think I care?" She threw his own hateful words back at him employing that venomous tongue of hers.

"Because you do," he insisted, placing his large hand along her jawline.

Instead of cupping her face, he held the entire half of her head in his hand. He could pop her head like a pimple if he wanted. His brute strength alone frightened her, apart from his fire quirk.

This wasn't supposed to be how this played out. As usual, her plans went awry making her wonder why she even bothered to have a plan in the first place. Her life had formed a disconcerting repeating pattern of failures. She had grown weary of bad starts and unpredictable people who completely destroyed her best laid plans leaving her bewildered and in a compromising position. This had to be the worst scenario yet.

"What did you do to your first son?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Melina gasped when his arm tightened around her, pulling her closer to his massive, warm body.

"It was an accident, but Rei wouldn't believe me. I was training Toya, trying to teach him how to get control over his flames. I pushed him hard which made him push himself that much harder to please me, to make me proud. One day, he went too far because I kept hammering at him to keep going, to try again, to not be a pussy and give up."

 _Imagine that_ , she thought to herself, keeping the words locked inside her head.

"He lost control. I watched as my boy burned, the flames consuming his flesh, devouring him. I remember his screams of pain. The smell..." His face screwed up in revulsion as if he remembered the stench vividly. His tanned skin paled from the memory.

"Please, stop," she begged, nausea rising in her gut so violently she thought she might throw up on him. She closed her eyes in hopes the nausea would pass soon. "Yet you did nothing. You did absolutely nothing to save him."

"I-I c-couldn't," he rejoined.

His stuttering caught her off guard, prompting her to open her eyes. She looked into his eyes that were glassy as if he were drop dead drunk. Perhaps all that sake was the real reason his tongue had become so loose, confessing all of his sins.

But it wasn't the sake. A tear pooled in the corner of his eye before freeing itself to streak down his cheek that was just regaining its healthy color.

"I was scared. I was too scared to act. I was a hero. I had been the number two hero since the age of twenty yet I could do nothing to save my own child from being consumed by his power. He almost died because he couldn't control the quirk, my same quirk of fire, that I had given him," he said, holding her eyes hostage. "It was my fault."

His eyes latched onto hers as if they were a safety line, keeping his long lost soul afloat. Connecting to her brought his emotions up from the depths of the cesspool of his hubris to assert itself for one last gasp of air, possibly before dying.

Melina's arms that had hung limply at her sides until now, enclosed his wide neck in a comforting embrace. Closing her eyes, she broke the suffocating connection that had formed between them. She could not withstand his need for her to aid in helping him bear the crushing emotional weight of what he had done in his past.

Hearing the truth about all of it hurt her, obliterating her heart. Hating him had been so much easier before she pitied him from learning he had incurred his own emotional wounds that no one gave a damn about.

Her fingers combed through his soft, spiky dark red hair in an attempt to soothe him. There was something empowering about having the massive man, the number one hero, down on his knees and in her arms needing her comforting touch.

Earlier he held the power but somehow the balance shifted in her favor. Melina pulled back from him, holding his angular chin in her hand. The minimal amount of stubble there was scratchy against her palm. She pressed her lips to his which accepted her kiss without hesitation. Her tongue darted through the slight gap between his lips, testing his receptiveness.

Enji placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her head forward. Silently granting his permission for her to go further, he parted his lips a little more under hers.

Without meaning to, Melina moaned as she found his tongue with hers. Kissing him was like kissing Dabi. So tender, so sweet. She could feel his raw power, but he kept it under control as not to hurt her. She whimpered as he pushed his tongue against hers. The honey flavored pheromone flowed from her mouth into his which he gratefully accepted, swallowing every last drop she gave him with greedy desire.

"So that's the first part of it?" he asked, still holding her neck when she lifted her lips from his.

"Uh huh," she answered, unable to form real words.

"What happens now?"

Melina cleared her throat, thinking quickly. This was the moment she had come here for.

"Enji Todoroki, you'll forget the last two hours of this night. You'll remember dinner and our conversation. We've come to a truce in the battle of wills. We're friends who have agreed to work together." She kissed him again. "You will refrain from having anymore affairs. You will visit your wife in the hospital regularly, doing all you can to aid in her recovery. You will also work on mending your broken relationships with your children, Shoto in particular. The hurt and pain from Toya will begin to heal, ridding you of the crippling guilt, no longer shutting off your emotions. You will feel real emotion again."

Melina paused, stroking his cheek bearing a light smattering of red stubble along his jawline. Kissing him again, she wanted to make sure he received another generous dose of the pheromone so she could get through his thicker than average skull. Her words needed to push past his build up of anger, hostility, and guilt not only towards his family but himself to stick in his subconscious.

"You'll do your best to repair your relationships, bringing your family together again. By the way, congratulations, Enji Todoroki, you're going to be a grandfather."

"I'm a grandfather?" Another tear escaped his eye.

Melina peeled his arms from around her body, backing away from him. She knew the grandfather knowledge would be nothing but a vague thought that would occasionally be triggered kind of like when a random quote comes to mind but you can't remember who said it.

"Get up, Enji," she commanded him, watching him rise to his feet. "Go inside. Go to bed. Get some sleep."

Melina watched him as he walked past her, bypassing the table still holding the forgotten desserts. She followed him out of the room, continuing to observe him as he went on his way to his room - alone. With Hana no where to be seen, she made a beeline for the door.

The driver was sitting in the front seat of the car asleep, his head leaning against the window. Melina lightly tapped on the window wanting to awaken him without giving him a heart attack.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I - "

"It's okay," she interrupted him. "Just take me home."

Melina stared out of the window without seeing a thing as he drove her. As they neared the school, she had a feeling of profound anxiety, a sense of foreboding, that something was terribly wrong.

Sirens blared in the distance, growing louder. Red lights began to light up the interior of the car. The driver pulled over to allow the fire trucks to pass.

Melina opened the car door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Although they were still a few blocks away, she could see an orange glow reflecting against the dark sky above where storm clouds had gathered. The light flickered and moved on the clouds as if it were alive. That could only be one thing: fire - a big one. The location appeared to be at the school.

"Oh, no," she gasped, fear clamping down on her lungs and heart.

 _RUN_!, the voice of dread screamed inside her head.

Melina took off, feeling as if she were flying from all of the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She ran the three blocks to the school without slowing down until she was stopped across the street from the front gate by a policeman. The fire trucks had used a back service entrance to gain access to the school grounds and get closer to the fire.

"But I'm a teacher!" she screamed at the uniformed man who refused to allow her across the street.

"Miss Zusa! There you are!" All Might yelled from behind the gate. "Let her come over!"

Melina stepped around the policeman and ran across the street to All Might who held the gate open for her.

"Is that fire where I think it is?" she asked, her heart beating so fast she started getting lightheaded.

"Unfortunately," he said, confirming her suspicion. "The kids were evacuated and moved to the gym. They're all fine. For everyone's safety, all of the dorms were evacuated."

All Might steered her toward the gym, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her body as they walked at a slow, plodding pace.

"Thank god they're all okay," she murmured, stumbling forward and almost falling down. She would have hit the cement sidewalk if All Might had not been holding onto her.

"Do I have to tell you the origin of the fire?" he asked, putting a steadying arm around her waist.

"No. I already know. Do you have any idea who set the hive ablaze?" She leaned heavily onto his skeletal frame that was deceptively strong and supportive under the burden of her weight.

"Bakugo and Kirishima were doing their rounds. Kirishima saw a flash of blue light on top of the dorm building then they went to check it out. When they reached the roof, Dabi was there. He had already set the hive, the shed, and all of the flowers on fire. He said he had a message for you."

Melina pitched forward, her head spinning from hearing that name. She felt his arm tighten around her waist to get a more secure grip on her.

"Dabi said he would continue to protect you in his own way. He said he was willing to accept your hate, foregoing your forgiveness, if it meant you remain alive," he said.

Melina listened to the sounds of shouting voices and rushing water. The smell of the burning wood made her gag. She shoved All Might away, rushing to the nearby bushes to vomit.

"Melina, you have to tell me everything," he implored her. "I know something else is going on here, but I can't help you if I don't know exactly how deeply you're in trouble."

Melina's hand tremored excessively as she wiped at her mouth with the back of it. She stayed where she was as another wave of nausea swept over her then passed without incident. However, she did not move in case the next one brought about a revisiting of dinner.

"Dabi and I were lovers. I'm pregnant," she told him, confessing her two biggest secrets she had been hanging onto for a while. "I'm in pretty damn deep, Toshinori Yagi. I don't know if you or anyone can save me."

"Oh, Melina," he sighed, running his big hands through his thick hair. "Who else knows about this?"

"Dabi? No one but you. The pregnancy. Well, there's Recovery Girl and Bakugo...don't ask," she said when his face crumpled into an expression of bewilderment. "Dabi might know about the baby after my encounter with Himiko Toga at the train station."

"Your what with who? When did that happen?"

 _Oops!_ She had accidentally let another cat out of the bag. _Dammit, dammit, dammit._

"We will have a private discussion sometime, but not tonight, please," she begged. She leaned back over to ride another wave of nausea which emptied her belly of more of her dinner. "I swear I'll tell you everything."

"I should hope so, young lady," he returned in a very dad-like manner. "For now, come on. They're setting up a temporary dorm in the gym. You need sleep."

Melina needed a hell of a lot more than sleep. She needed a fucking break.

Thunder rumbled ominously and the sky opened up pelting her with large, cold raindrops that stung her skin.

 _Not tonight_ , Melina Zusa nature itself told her. Lightning streaked across the sky as the raindrops fell faster and harder on her head. _There will be no breaks for you tonight._


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Shout out to AstroLibra, hinatayvonne, and Terrence Johnny Stanford for your reviews. I am very grateful for them. I appreciate you continuing to take the time to send your thoughts.

I'm afraid this another serious, extremely dramatic chapter. I'm shooting for the next one to bring a bit of happiness and fluff to offset the depressing drama. However, it was necessary to get this out of the way to move things along. Thank you for bearing with the last chapter and this one, the heaviness and sadness.

So, here we go...

* * *

Melina lay on the cot staring at the basketball goal. It was just after dawn. A drab gray light could be seen on the other side of the high windows close to the ceiling. Rain dropped on the metal roof, the pitter patter echoing through the building. Usually she found solace in the rain but not now. Nothing could comfort her at this moment.

She sat up, placing her bare feet on the smooth, highly polished floor. It reminded her of the floor at Todoroki Manor. She shivered recalling her conversation with Enji Todoroki. She had gotten the answers she wanted to the detriment of her emotions. Curiosity killed the cat, but there was no satisfaction to bring her back from facing those truths.

Wrapping the small gray blanket around her shoulders, she rocked backward and forward in an attempt to soothe herself. Her bees were dead. Her quirk was gone. At least she had been able to use her quirk one last time. Only time would tell if it had done any damn good on that hard headed and hard-hearted bastard.

The air in here had become stifling, making it difficult to breathe. Her body was as restless as her mind so she believed a walk might do her some good.

Rows and rows of cots held sleeping girls. It was like a forced slumber party but not very much fun. A massive curtain separated the boys from the girls in the gym. Shoto was located over there somewhere. Hopefully she could slip out unseen by him because of the curtain.

Her feet were soundless on the floor as she crept between the cots to get to the door. Stepping outside, the wind blew across her, filling her nose with the acrid stench of wet, burned wood. She gagged from the smell.

She hated that smell for so many reasons. The stink of burned things _always_ represented destruction and death, loss and pain. She never wanted a house with a fireplace. She wanted nothing to do with campfires or cookouts or anything that involved an open fire.

The biggest irony is that the three men pulling her in so many different directions, threatening to rip her asunder, possessed a fire quirk. The Todoroki men all played a part in gradually decimating her mental and emotional health one small disaster at a time. Well, maybe those disasters weren't so small.

Her life had a running theme of being burned by fire, literally and figuratively. Receiving detrimental injuries and adding to her scars, but somehow managing to escape death in the end. Damage heaped upon damage yet continuing to limp along in life, to hurt and be hurt again. She shared quite a bit of common ground with the Todorokis.

Melina's bare feet splashed in the puddles along the sidewalk. The rain drenched her hair and soaked through the blanket meant to keep her warm. She did not know where she was going nor did she care. Submerged in her thoughts, she aimlessly wandered.

However, her roaming was not without purpose, her subconscious having a destination set for her. Looking ahead, she saw her old apartment building. She could see Yamada inside sitting at the desk.

Her body trembled under the sopping wet blanket. The rain was so cold. Her feet moved, taking her to the front doors.

Melina knocked on the door, peeking around the side of the metal doors to peer at the guard through the glass. She waved when he looked at her.

Upon recognizing her, he nearly fell of his chair. He pressed the button under his desk to allow her entrance. She came inside to stand on the carpet staying there to avoid dripping water on the tile.

"Miss Melina!" Yamada exclaimed, rummaging under his desk. He pulled out several towels and brought them to her. "What are you doing here?"

"As dumb as this sounds, I don't know. I went out for a walk to clear my head, and I wound up here. How have you been?" she questioned him a friendly manner, relinquishing the drenched blanket to him when he pulled on it.

"How have I been? You show up here looking like a drowned rat and as if you're carrying the world on your shoulders and you ask how have I been?" he admonished her gently, wrapping one of the towels around her shoulders.

"Has anyone rented the apartment yet?" she asked him, foregoing the small talk.

Trying to make polite social conversation just didn't seem appropriate at the moment when it was obvious something was wrong.

"Not yet. Would you like to go up and take a look around?" he inquired, handing her another towel for her hair.

"If it's okay, that would be great."

Melina figured she might as well go up since she was here. Nothing like marinating in all the pain and memories of that past when she was already aching inside.

They rode up together on the elevator, silence reigning, but it wasn't necessarily awkward. What could either one of them possibly say? Her 'how have you been?' question had been completely asinine, and she didn't feel like trying conversation again.

Once at the apartment, Yamada opened the door for her without saying a word. He abruptly left as if sensing she needed to be alone.

Melina cautiously walked into the empty apartment as if someone might jump out and grab her. It was possible. It had happened here before on more than one occasion.

With the rising of the sun behind the rain clouds, a silvery gray light lit up the room with no curtains to block it out. Standing in the middle of the vacant living room, she was filled with a sense of loneliness, isolation. She felt as hollow and empty as this room.

The profound disconnection from everything, her emotions and even her sense of reality, reminded her of the way she felt standing by the closed caskets at her parent's funeral. She felt so devoid of emotion, so completely numb, she couldn't bring herself to cry on that day. Presently, she might feel better if she could cry, but she couldn't.

Melina went to the bedroom. She stared at the middle of the room where her bed was located. Memories of Dabi flooded her mind. God, they had been so good together. She had loved him so much. But that was over now.

The hairs on the back of her neck raised as an electrical energy touched her. An ambient warmth reached out to her, making her fully aware of him. She recognized that presence. Inhaling deeply, trying to find her strength if she had any left at all, she waited for him to come closer.

"Why?" she asked Dabi, her voice cracking. "Why did you do it?"

"You know why," he returned, standing close but not touching her physically. "I did it to protect you."

"Because you still love me?" she scoffed.

"Of course because I still love you."

"Your way of loving me hurts so much," she said, gathering the towel tighter around her shaking body.

"It hurts me too," he reminded her.

"You're the one who ended things. Remember?" she retorted acidly.

"You've found comfort in someone. Don't worry, sweetheart. My baby brother will help you through this. He will take your pain away. I'm glad for that."

Anger surged inside of her. She spun around on her heel to face him.

"I'm not yours to just giveaway like I'm an unwanted pet," she said, her voice low and menacing. "I'd never use Shoto as a substitute for you. I love him for him...for who he is, not because he reminds me of you. I made damn sure of that."

Dabi stared at her without saying a word. The vacant expression in his eyes was hurtful and unsettling. He honestly didn't give a single damn about her anymore despite his declaration that he loved her. His indifference stung.

His sudden turnabout in emotions reminded her of his father's during their meeting. They were too damn much alike. She had gotten herself far too entangled in a web spun by three Todoroki's. There was no way out.

"Why are you here?" Melina asked. "Do me a favor and leave me alone already like you keep saying you're going to. Stop ripping the scab off the wound you created. Let me heal...please."

"Is it true? Are you pregnant? Is the baby mine?"

"It's true. Do you really need to ask if the baby is yours? Do you think so little of me that I would fall into bed with some other man that quickly?"

"If I had known - "

"If you had known, would it have changed anything?" she demanded pointedly, her tone pure acid. "But it doesn't really matter now does it?"

"I guess not."

"I'm leaving," Melina announced, backing away from him rather than turning her back on him.

She wanted to keep him in her sight, not allowing him to sneak up on her and grab her. If he touched her, that would probably be the end of her. Her fragile emotions would shatter like a cracked porcelain doll leaving her completely broken and destroyed.

"Before you go..." He ambled toward her, his eyes locked on hers.

Melina took two steps back for his every one toward her yet he was still advancing upon her due to his long stride.

"No, Dabi. Don't touch me," she said, raising her hand, palm facing him in a stop gesture.

He overtook her, coming within arms length in two steps. Her hand pressed flat against his belly, but he continued to move forward, pushing her back as he reached out to envelope her with his long arms.

"Stop, I said!" she screamed when he enclosed her body and pulled her forward to embrace her.

Her arms folded in between their bodies. She pushed her fists against his chest. She wiggled and writhed, trying to drop down to free her body from his bear hug, but he held onto her tightly almost squeezing the breath out of her.

A loud crack, followed by several more cracks like dry twigs snapping caught their attention. They looked toward the window to see Shoto on the other side, a spider web of fractures in the glass concealing his face. His palm pressed flat against the window pane frosted over by ice. The glass shattered, the shards making a tinkling sound like a wind chime as they sprinkled across the floor.

Shoto kicked out the wooden parts of the frame and the remaining pieces of glass before stepping over the windowsill to drop down onto the floor inside. The pieces of glass crunched under his boots as he walked. Apparently he had heated the glass then froze it to make it shatter. Much more efficient and less injurious than smashing his fist through it.

"I see I'm not the only one who has a bad habit of following you," Dabi said, not taking his eyes off of Shoto. "Hello there, baby brother."

While he was distracted by the arrival of his brother, Melina extricated herself from his grip and backed against the wall.

"Don't call me that. I'm not your brother. You can't be Toya," Shoto said, his voice quivering from the glut of emotion, mostly rage. "You can't be my brother."

Melina avoided eye contact when Shoto fastened his furious gaze on her. She held her breath as he glared daggers at her. Her eyes focused on his lips, noticing the slight tremble of his lower lip. Lowering her gaze, she saw the more obvious shaking of his hands that were covered in fire and ice.

"You're pregnant? By him?" he questioned, jerking his head toward Dabi. "How could you...why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you. That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she explained but her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"You should have seen what she did with our father last night," Dabi said, daring to throw fuel on the fire.

"What do you mean?" Shoto growled, turning away from her to glower at him.

The fire side of him glowed brighter, the flames rising higher from half of his body. The ice grew thicker on his hand, frost crawling up his arm and covering his shoulder to form a thin layer of ice.

Melina edged along the wall toward the door in an effort to escape unnoticed.

"He took her to the Manor. They got real cozy. It was sweet in a nauseating sort of way," Dabi said, slumping over as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Melina wasn't surprised he was there last night. Stalking her and spying on her was two of his long standing habits since he met her. She continued her slow progress toward the door as not to gain their attention.

"The Manor? You mean the mistress's house?" Shoto corrected him.

 _The what now?_ Melina ceased her retreat. _The mistress's house?_

"I'm sure she didn't do anything wrong," Shoto said sounding as if he was trying to convince himself.

"She didn't," Dabi concurred, shrugging his shoulders. "But seeing her there, seeing what she did, I wanted to teach her a lesson. She'll never use that quirk of hers again. I made sure of that."

Why was Dabi going out of his way to make sure Shoto hates him more? He also seemed to be trying his best to steer Shoto into hating her as well.

"You've got balls, Dabi. Big brass ones."

"Thanks little brother."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Look, take her and go, Shoto. I don't want to fight with you, especially with her here. You wouldn't want to harm her or the baby would you?" he asked, an arrogant smirk lifting the corner of his mouth.

That was an Enji Todoroki expression if she ever saw one. The over confident look of having the upper hand, of leaving his opponent with no other option but one - and it wasn't the one Shoto wanted to take.

Shoto wanted to fight him, whip his ass as a matter of pride. Present circumstances wouldn't allow him to indulge in a pissing contest with a prick. He would gladly beat the hell out of Dabi using his bare hands instead of his quirk.

"Melina, leave," Shoto ordered her.

"No," she said, going to him. She grabbed onto the back belt loop of his hero uniform. She was afraid to touch any part of his torso, not wanting to be burned by the fire or the ice. "I won't leave without you."

"Melina, you stubborn, annoying pain in the ass!" he yelled at her without turning around. "Do as I say!"

"No. Come with me," she insisted, ignoring his harsh, insulting words. "Shoto, please."

"Run along, little brother! Follow her like the sad, pitiful little puppy you are," Dabi said derogatorily, the smirk morphing into a sneer of derision. "She might do you the favor of petting you a little."

"Why you..." Shoto lifted his icy hand, preparing to launch a barrage of knife like ice crystals at him to cut him into little pieces.

Melina let go of Shoto, walking around him. She slapped Dabi with all of her strength. Her fingernail hooked on one of the staples, snatching it completely out of his face.

"Mmm," he grunted, pressing his hand to his bleeding cheek. "You always did have the arm of a pro baseball player. You never needed that damn quirk to be something amazing."

"I know that. I never let my quirk define me. That's why I'm not sad about losing it. I'm actually glad. So thank you, Dabi," she said, going back to Shoto.

Melina placed her hand on the back of his head, pulling his mouth down to hers. She kissed him; hard, possessively, hungrily. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, kissing him deeply with no reservations. For the first time ever she did not have to worry about transferring the pheromone and activating her quirk. She released him, their lips making a distinct popping sound upon parting.

"Now I can kiss the man I love the way I want to," she said, casting a fierce scowl at Dabi.

Taking Shoto by the hand, she pulled him toward the door. They were getting the hell out of here - together.

"There's no need to fight him. It wouldn't prove a damn thing anyway," she said, dragging him behind her.

"Good-bye, Melina. You've got your hands full with that one, little brother. Good luck, Shoto," Dabi said, saluting them both.

Melina held on tightly to Shoto's damp, cold hand. She slammed the door of the apartment behind them, signaling closure on that event and her feelings for Dabi. He had given her no choice.

"Look, I know you're angry with me. But we can talk about this later," she said, poking the button for the elevator.

"I am angry," Shoto agreed. "I'm extremely angry with you. But..."

He allowed the words to trail off as he grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her forward to place his mouth against hers. His lips barely made contact with hers when the elevator announced its arrival with a ding. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her inside.

Melina was captured in his crushing embrace. She didn't really mind that he was hugging her almost too fiercely because she found the comfort she had been so desperately seeking.

"Don't let me go," she begged.

"I won't," he promised.

The tears came, turning her into a sloppy, bawling mess as he held her.

When the elevator doors opened, Yamada jumped up from his chair. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it when he recognized the young man from prior visits.

"Take care of her," Yamada said, watching them leave.

"I definitely will," he told the man, leading her toward the door.

Once out on the sidewalk, she inhaled a deep breath of the air that had been cleansed by the rain.

"I'm not even going to ask why you followed me," Melina sniffled, leaning into his side as they walked. "I'm glad that you did."

"I'm still mad at you," he reminded her.

"I know. I heard you when you said it earlier," she sighed, straightening up to walk on her own.

His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her back to his side, wanting her close to him. His actions were in direct conflict with his words. She had assumed he did not want her near him, relying on him to hold her up since he was still angry with her. Damn these bewildering Todoroki men!

"It doesn't mean I won't be here for you when you need me the most," he told her. "So just lean on me all you need to."

"Wow. That made me feel even more pathetic than I already do. Thanks for that," she returned.

"You are pathetic, Melina. You're a damn hot mess, and I don't know how to deal with you anymore."

"I warned you. I told you that you weren't ready for a relationship with me."

"Yeah, well, have you forgotten what it's like to be a teenager and in love? You don't listen to advice, and you think you have all the answers. I'm ten foot tall and bulletproof not to mention immortal because of my age. I wanted to believe love conquers all, love is all you need, and all that bullshit."

"I honestly don't recall. I don't know if I was ever in love as a teenager. I found out fast how fleeting life could be so I had no illusions about my mortality. Life is unfair. I'm sorry."

"Life isn't fair, now is it? You know that better than anyone."

"Why did you follow me?" Melina asked as they walked.

"I thought you weren't going to ask," he shot back.

"Fine, fine, whatever," she sighed in exasperation, attempting to wiggle out of his sideways embrace.

His arm tightened around her like a boa constrictor. He was not willing to relinquish his hold on her or allow her to get away.

"I saw you leave the gym. You looked dazed, as if you were in a trance. I was worried so I followed you. I wasn't too surprised when you wandered back to your apartment as if drawn there. But when I saw him..." Shoto inhaled deeply, exhaling noisily through his nose like an angry bull. "I almost lost my damn mind. I couldn't believe it. You were there with _him_. Then to find out you're pregnant, and he is the father of your child. It was almost too much to bear. I wanted...I wanted to kill him, Melina."

She did not know what to say so she didn't say anything. Soft, misting rain fell on them, soaking them so gradually they didn't even notice.

"Is he really..." Shoto gulped audibly, nearly choking on the emotions. "Is he really Toya?"

"Yes. Yes, he is," she confirmed.

Melina gasped when he came to a sudden halt, pulling her into his arms. She closed her eyes as he held her close, her head cradled in his hand.

"I feel betrayed...hurt...furious. I'm still so damn angry with you," he growled through his clenched teeth, hugging her with crushing force before loosening his grip to tenderly hold her. "I don't know whether I want to strangle you or kiss you. If I could hate you, or even dislike you a little, this would be so much easier. It wouldn't hurt so much."

Melina knew that feeling all too well. Her arms enclosed his waist, hugging him back.

"Oh, god, Shoto," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have told you before, but I was so afraid of losing you. I just couldn't...I just couldn't stand the thought of not having you in my life."

"Since you can't have him?" he asked.

Melina pulled back from him, studying his face. The anger was gone, having been replaced by a hurt and bewildered kicked puppy expression.

"No," she replied, pressing her palm to his cheek. "Because I want you."

Shoto's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed convulsively.

"What you said...after you kissed me...did you mean it?" he asked, capturing her eyes with his.

"I love you, Shoto Todoroki. I shouldn't, but I do. You were never a substitute for him. I fell in love with you because of who you are. I made sure to make that distinction to myself. I wish I could somehow make you underst-"

Before she could finish the word, Shoto grabbed her, smashing his mouth to hers. He kissed her hungrily as if he wanted to devour her heart and soul. His tongue touched hers tentatively.

Melina slowly pulled her head back, breaking the kiss and the spell that had fallen over them. They were standing in the middle of the sidewalk. People were staring. Throwing caution to the wind was one thing. Being stupid and reckless was another.

Sorrow and regret permeated Melina. Not because of her admission of her feelings to Shoto but because of what she knew she needed to do next. She would have to quit her job, leave the school, and separate herself from him. It was too dangerous for them to be in such close quarters now.

"What do we do now? What do you want me to do?" Shoto questioned her.

The rain fell harder, dripping from their hair and making tiny little rivers down their faces as if they were shedding waterfalls of tears.

"Take me home," Melina requested.

"I will."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina sat in Principal's Nezu's office, a disturbingly frequent occurrence over the last couple of weeks. The adorable Mr. Principal held her resignation letter in his hand, the envelope unopened. Toshinori Yagi sat on the couch beside her, his expression so sad she feared he might cry. Aizawa sat across from her looking as uninterested as always, avoiding eye contact with her at all possible cost.

"I can't refuse to accept this, can I?" Principal Nezu inquired, tapping the envelope on the table.

"I'm afraid not, sir. I see no other way. I really don't want to do this, but - "

"Well, you have to do what you have to do," Aizawa said, standing to his feet. "Since you've made up your mind, just go."

After saying his piece, Aizawa left the office, leaving the others to stare behind him in, baffled by his sudden exit. So that was his good-bye to her. It was somehow fitting of that man.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Toshinori asked, turning his sad eyes on her.

"No, I can't. I have to think about the baby now. I need to get some things settled in my life, decide how to live from here. Besides, I just don't have the presence of mind to be a good teacher to those kids. I'm too scattered. Too conflicted. I need to get my personal life straight for my child...and myself," she added, willing to admit there was degree of selfishness to her motives.

"My dear, I appreciate your thoughtfulness to consider these children first. But what about you? What are you going to do?" Principal Nezu asked her.

At the moment, her plan was to hole up in the hotel room she reserved for a few weeks and try to get her head screwed back on straight. Once she could trust herself to make better, more logical decisions, then she could form a plan of what to do next and proceed.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll stay in touch," she promised, although she doubted she would.

"Take care of yourself," Toshinori said, rising to his feet when she stood up.

The thin man towered over her. Bending down, he gave her a hug which was surprisingly gentle and comforting like that of a father. She wanted to cry when he let her go.

After Toshinori moved aside, Mr. Principal stepped up to bid her farewell.

"Please do come by and visit," he said, his voice flat and toneless, his emotions restrained.

Melina ignored his hand offered for a handshake. She bent down to hug him instead. He was so fuzzy and warm. She wanted to bury her face in his soft fur but refrained.

She would miss them all, even Aizawa, very much. And the kids...she couldn't bear to tell them good-bye so she was being a coward and running away without doing so.

Bowing deeply to All Might and Principal Nezu, a single tear fell before she could contain it, dripping onto the floor. As more tears followed, she hurried from the office to the front steps where Shoto waited for her. This would be the last time he walked her to the front gate.

"This is it, huh?" he murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I suppose so," she rejoined. "Thank you for walking me."

"I took the liberty of calling a car to take you to your new home," he said as they approached the gate.

"Are you crazy?!" Melina exclaimed when she saw the familiar limousine pulling up to the curb.

"I called my Dad this morning while you were packing and asked him about you staying at the Manor. He agreed that it would be the safest place for you. He was being almost nice. It was really weird. A little scary too," he mused, opening the gate for her.

"Hey! Wait! Don't take those!" she yelled at the driver who picked up her suitcases to put them in the trunk. "When I said take me home, I didn't mean your home, Shoto!"

"You've got to think about the baby. Besides, they're planning on closing the school early for summer vacation to make the repairs to the dorm building. I'll be staying at the Manor with you the entire summer."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" she asked, anxiety squeezing her stomach until she thought she would be sick.

"I don't know what a good idea is anymore...about anything," he murmured quietly, casting a sideways glimpse at her.

"That makes two of us," she concurred.

Shoto opened the car door for her, offering his hand to assist her with getting into the back seat. He leaned in, placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I'll see you in a few days," he said, closing the door.

Melina stared out of the window, watching him and the school grow smaller as the limousine drove away. Todoroki Manor - her new home. The hideaway for Enji Todoroki and his mistresses. She was less than flattered the man had agreed to take her and his grandchild in like stray dogs. How noble of him.

Upon her arrival, Hana met her at the door and led her to her suite of rooms while the driver took her suitcases out of the car. Her rooms were located in the same wing of the house as the master's rooms. Across the hall as a matter of fact.

She wondered if Shoto would be taking those rooms when he moved in. For all intents and purposes, he would be the master of this house, the head of a new Todoroki household.

While the driver placed her suitcases in the bedroom, she started exploring her private living room. The living room included a comfortable chair covered in a silky, royal blue fabric along with a coordinating couch striped with the same shade of blue along with white and turquoise stripes.

Floor to ceiling shelves covered one wall. They were currently empty, but she planned on filling them with books. There was also a short table and cushions in the room for taking meals. A television and small refrigerator had been included to offer further convenience.

Melina entered the bedroom through the door from the living room. Her suitcases sat in a line along the wall beside the door that served as an entrance from the hallway. The bedroom furnishings included a queen size bed, a chest of drawers, and a bedside table. Snow white and earth brown were the dominant colors in this room.

The bathroom was astounding in its luxury. The tub was sunken into the floor with steps leading down into it. There was a huge shower like the one in her apartment. Oh, how she missed that shower.

There was even a changing area including an ornate lacquered black wood and red paper changing screen in the corner by the closet. Cranes and poppies decorated the screen.

"Young Mistress," Hana called.

Melina bristled at the use of the word. However, the woman meant it as a term of the respect, as in the feminine counterpart to the master of a household, not the extramarital love interest of an unfaithful husband.

"Yes?" she answered, exiting the closet through a door on the opposite side of the room from where she entered it.

The closet was a walk through, going from one end of the room to the other behind a wall. It was like an entire hidden room.

"Master Todoroki has requested our presence for tea."

Melina visibly flinched hearing him referred to as the master. He wouldn't be the master here for long and certainly never hers.

 _The king has summoned me!_ , she thought to herself, smiling wryly.

She raised her head high, nose in the air, straightening her shoulders as she followed Hana.

Enji Todoroki waited for her in the same room in which they had eaten dinner together. She nervously scratched her neck. At least they weren't having tea in the room where dessert had _not_ taken place. Thank god.

She took a seat across from him this time, not caring that her back was to the door. She wore denim shorts and a t-shirt which allowed her to sit more comfortably.

Hana served the tea, silent and efficient as ever. After she left, Enji began speaking without bothering to take a sip of his tea first.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Melina," Enji said. "I figured you would flatly refuse."

"Oh, I tried," she admitted, raising her tea cup to her lips. "But your son would not allow me to refuse your gracious hospitality."

Melina gazed into her tea cup to avoid looking at Enji Todoroki's face. He cleared his throat before he began speaking again.

"I made an appointment for you with an obstetrician who comes highly recommended. Your first appointment is tomorrow at two. I will be going with you," he informed her.

"O-okay," she stammered, taking another sip of the bitter green tea. "Thank you. I guess."

There was no real reason to argue. Melina knew she needed to be under a specialized doctor's care for the health and safety of her child. Him going with her was something she could live without, but unfortunately she did not see that she had a choice.

"You're a strong willed son of a bitch," she said. "You resisted my mind control."

"To a point, yes," he admitted, bringing the cup to his mouth. "I didn't become the number two hero by the age of 20 because I was weak, either in mind or body."

"Number two suited you so well. It was a statement on you personally as much as your status as a hero," she murmured sweetly, smiling at him.

She didn't know if it was ego or ignorance that made him miss her snide reference to him as shit. Maybe he never used the number terms of one and two for those bodily functions. Doing so was probably crude and beneath him.

"You're nothing more than a glorified witch with a counterfeit quirk," he stated with brutish honesty. "The only reason you can make men fall under your spell so easily is because they want to give themselves over to you. You're a manipulator and a user."

"Takes one to know one, I suppose," she muttered into her cup before drinking. "Well, I no longer have a quirk. Your oldest son made sure of that."

"That quirk was never your strength. It was your weakness."

"I know," she agreed, surprised he was intuitive enough to figure that out. "I have to admit I'm relieved it's gone."

"What are your intentions toward my son?" he asked forthrightly.

"Which one?" she challenged him, raising an eyebrow.

"The obvious one. Shoto."

"I have no intentions toward him."

"You have no feelings for him then?"

"I wouldn't say that. He's still young. It's not appropriate to act on those feelings yet."

Melina could feel her face growing warm. They had shared a few inappropriate kisses. Those kisses had been delightfully sinful. Her hand shook as she picked up her cup to wet her dry throat.

"I would be willing to agree to an arranged marriage. A long engagement would be preferable considering Shoto's age. Would you be opposed?" Enji questioned her, refilling her teacup from the teapot in the middle of the table.

"You're damn right I'd be opposed. I'm not forcing Shoto to marry me and neither are you. Why would you even - "

"I will not have a Todoroki heir being stigmatized with the shame of being a bastard, of living without a proper family name. Whether either one of us like it or not, that child carries my blood, and I will take care of my family."

"Is it a matter of control and possession with you? It's definitely not out of love. Where I come from there are plenty of single mothers, and -"

"We're not where you come from, Miss Zusa. Things are different here. I will not have allow my grandchild to grow up in shame."

"However, you'd be more than willing to ignore your children, even going as far as to disown them, consider them dead. Don't speak to me about family honor and pride," Melina growled, slamming her fist down on the table. "After what you did to Toya - "

"I told you already, he left the family. He turned his back on me first. I simply honored his wishes. He is dead to me," he said with a note of finality, folding his arms in front of his broad chest which he puffed out.

"Perhaps you actually did him a favor, Mr. Todoroki. You set him free from the prison of your tyranny."

"You know nothing about this family, little girl," he said, his voice deep and rumbling like thunder.

"Yet you expect me to be a part of it," she shot back. "I know more than you think, you bastard."

"You have no fear, no respect. You're mouthy, insolent, and annoyingly defiant. You're going to challenge me at every turn and make my life a living hell, aren't you?" His question was not rhetorical.

"Yes. Yes, I am," she answered honestly.

Enji Todoroki smiled. What the fuck? His smile was one of genuine amusement and happiness. He was a masochist as much as he was a sadist. He enjoyed receiving abuse almost as much as he liked giving it. What the hell?!

"Is that one of the reasons you hate Rei so much? Because she never put up any kind of a fight? She wouldn't throw your shit right back at you. She just took it and took it until it drove her crazy. She was too meek, too gentle for a man like you, but you wanted her quirk too much to choose someone else. She taught your sons love and kindness. And you hated that didn't you because you see those attributes as weakness?"

Instead of answering, he redirected the conversation back to his original topic of an arranged marriage between her and Shoto.

"Arranged marriages are nothing more than a formal arrangement made to suit the interests of both parties. When done correctly, they benefit everyone involved like a lucrative business merger," he stated matter of factly.

He really knew how to suck the warmth and sentiment out of anything. In two sentences he had successfully reduced marriage to work that should be done to make a profit.

"Enji, your marriage to Rei was arranged wasn't it?" Melina asked.

"Yes. Of course it was. As a matter of fact, I wasn't much older than Shoto when Rei and I were engaged. We were married after I attained the position I held for over twenty five years before becoming number one."

 _Oh, my god!_ Melina drank her tea, trying to process the startling information.

Although Enji Todoroki had the ability to be charming enough to have tricked Rei into marriage, making her believe he loved her, he had chosen to invoke an archaic ritual because he did not have the time nor patience for a lengthy fake courtship.

Melina knew from her personal experience with him he did not strive with people long if they did not bend to his insincere flattery and subtle charms, succumbing to his desires. When his patience ran out, his personality would turn on a dime without warning, and he would resort to bullying and force to get his way.

"I put many hours of research into finding the woman with the perfect quirk. Rei was the one I had been looking for so when I found her, I had to have her."

So stalking and obsession are family traditions.

"Rei is four years older than me, but I wanted to make her mine, even though I was only seventeen."

Apart from the slight age differences, the situation sounded terrifyingly familiar. The age correlations were almost terrifying. There was a two year exception, Melina being six years older than Shoto rather than just four. At sixteen, Shoto set his eyes on her, a year younger than his father when he found Rei.

However, Shoto is not his Father despite having some similarities in personality and actions. Similarities were inevitable between a father and his son. The differences between them is what set Shoto apart in the ways that made her love him.

Melina sipped her tea, preparing herself for the next onslaught of startling insight into Enji Todoroki's troubled relationship with his wife.

"The how of marrying her didn't matter. An arranged marriage was the best option. It was actually quite easy getting her and her parents to agree to the terms of the contract," Enji said with absolutely no emotion. "I never loved her. She never loved me. We both knew that going into the marriage. She wanted a way out of her home, an escape from her abusive parents. I wanted her quirk. We both got what we wanted."

 _At what cost to both of you?_ , Melina contemplated silently, turning the empty cup in her hands. Rei was set free from one prison to enter another. Enji purposely chose a relationship with a woman he already knew he disliked on a personal level, fostering and growing resentment and hatred which bubbled over to the children.

"Why did you want someone with an ice quirk?" Melina dared to ask. "Why was it so damn important to resort to such drastic measures?"

"I have to be extremely careful when using my quirk not allowing it to overpower me, overheating my body. Her ice quirk was supposed to solve the overheating problem in our children. The children were to be a flawless culmination of the two of us. Her quirk was supposed to eliminate the one, small shortcoming I have."

 _One small shortcoming? Oh my god, really?_ She picked up the teapot to refill her cup. Drinking something would help her keep her mouth from releasing the words she should not say to him.

"Because of this flaw in my power, Toya overheated, losing control of his quirk. She was a failure, and so was he."

Melina pressed her lips together with increasing pressure until they felt numb. How could he be so cruel and hateful when speaking about his wife and child?

"Shoto was the only one who came close to being the child I wanted. I devoted my life to training him, to making him the best."

"So you abandoned your other children to make sure he becomes another you? He will never, ever, be another you," she assured him.

"Many of the similarities between us, our lives and personalities, is striking, don't you think?" he questioned her.

 _Goddammit. Damn him straight to hell._ He was right. She could not deny the fact they shared many personality traits. Events in their lives were beginning to run along parallel paths as well. Somehow she had become a part of that cycle.

Melina restrained the tears that wanted fall. She chewed the inside of her cheek until it felt like ground meat against her tongue. She would not cry in front of this man.

"Don't worry, my dear. Things could be much worse for you than falling into the middle of a rich, influential family. Your soon to be father-in-law is the number one hero. You're going to give birth to a Todoroki heir. One day you will be married to the man who will be the number two hero. He will rise to number one when I retire. You've hitched your wagon to a rising star. On that I have to commend you. What are you upset about?"

"Do you think I did this on purpose? I didn't trick Shoto into falling in love with me. I tried to talk him out of it many, many times. My pregnancy was not a calculated move on my part to weasel my way into your family and the so called good life!" Her voice faltered, the first tear falling. Dammit!

"No. I don't think that. Although you're selfish and capable of terrible things, you try not to be cruel. Most of the damage you do, you do by accident. Despite your sharp tongue, you've shown kindness to me although I don't deserve it."

His self-awareness and honesty almost frightened her. He insulted her but quickly followed it with a backhanded compliment. She would expect nothing less from this man, but somehow that had softened the blow, making him seem just a little less heinous.

"If I did think this was all a big scheme on your part, I wouldn't be willing to help you, to make you a part of this family. If I had even the smallest suspicion you had ulterior motives or that you were using Shoto, I would send you and the baby away with a big check, not allowing either one of you to remain in Japan. I'm risking exposing my greatest shame by taking you in since Toya is the father of your child."

"Your oldest son is your greatest shame? You're a horribly self-centered and downright vile man, Enji Todoroki. I hate you so much," she confessed, allowing the tears to fall down her cheeks unchecked.

"I couldn't possibly care less what you think of me. I didn't reach number one by trying to win a popularity contest. Look where that got All Might. Strength and power are the only things that insure success and keep you successful. Being everyone's favorite, being their hero because you plaster on this big, stupid smile will never insure you stay in that number one spot."

Enji Todoroki leaned back, placing his hands on the Tatami mat behind him to prop himself up. He looked up at the ceiling inhaling deeply.

Melina did her best to prepare herself for whatever awful, heart rending words came out of his mouth next.

"My greatest shame is my failure as a father...and a husband."

Melina was glad she was sitting down. She covered her mouth with her hand to hold in the cry of astonishment from hearing his unexpected confession.

Perhaps she had gotten though to him after all. Maybe his transformation would come slower given his degree of hardheadedness. His emotions being buried under layers and layers of egotism and anger were more difficult to reach and thereby harder to change. His candid statement gave her hope that a change in him would eventually come.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: Hello again! Sorry so much time has passed between chapters. I hope you like the update.

Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers! I am grateful to you all! I appreciate the added support of favorites and follows too.

* * *

Melina finished unpacking her clothes since she could not sleep. Sleeplessness was becoming a habit and slowly turning into insomnia.

She missed the constant activity and noise of the dorm. Even in the wee hours of the night there were restless teenagers roaming through the house. Often they were getting a snack due to late night cramming in preparation for a test or finishing homework they put off due to have fun earlier in the evening. Sometimes they were just stressed or upset and needed a listening ear. She missed the kids so much.

After taking a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she walked outside onto the porch. A chorus of crickets sang her a song of summer. Stars sparkled in the black sky above. It was a gorgeous moonless night. The humidity closed in around her as if she were sitting inside of a sauna.

Melina sighed wistfully, leaning against one of the porch beams. This reminded her of a summer night at home. Had she done the right thing by coming here instead of returning to the place she had run away from?

Glancing to her left, she saw a red dot appear in the darkness at the end of the stretch of porch. She heard an exhale of breath and white smoke drifted into view from the shadows.

"Good evening, Melina," Enji Todoroki greeted her, rising from the chair he had been sitting in to walk toward her.

"Hello...uh, uhm, what should I call you?" she asked. "Mr. Todoroki? Enji? Grandpa?"

"Daddy?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow and giving her another rare glimpse at his playful, flirtatious sense of humor.

"Ah, ha ha ha...hell no," she shot back.

"What's on your mind, little lady?" he inquired, leaning against the wooden porch post across from her.

At least her called her little lady instead of little girl. Of course in terms of body size, not many people _weren't_ little in comparison to him.

"Everything," she replied vaguely, not really wanting to pour out her heart to him of all people.

"What do your parents think of all this? Have you told them?"

A tight smile formed on Melina's face.

"My parents aren't saying much these days because they're dead. They died in a fire when I was fifteen."

Melina folded her arms, shivering slightly despite there being nothing cool about this night.

"Funny how life has seen fit to surround me with three men who possess a fire quirk to dominate my time and emotions. Life has a cruel sense of irony."

"So Toya is the father of your baby."

It wasn't a question. He was simply stating a fact. He had no reason to disbelieve her. His easy acceptance of that fact did surprise her. She expected him to demand DNA tests and other proof of paternal heritage.

"Yes. _Dabi_ is the father of my child," she corrected him, emphasizing the name Dabi.

"How is he?" He seemed unfazed by the correction but refrained from using his name in any form.

How the hell was she supposed to answer that? Oh, he's great! He's basically the right hand man of Tomura Shigaraki and second in charge of the League of Villains. Aren't you proud he's come so far?

"He's alive. Hates your guts. Denies his name and denounces his family. I'm sure things are absolutely peachy for him," she replied, lacing her words with venom.

"You are a devil, aren't you?" Enji muttered, then quickly proceeded to say, "You still love him."

"Somewhere down deep...under all the pain...yes, I do," she confessed. "But he's made it quite clear he wants nothing to do with me."

Melina drank water to wet her parched throat that felt like it was sticking together every time swallowed.

"You're ability to compartmentalize is admirable. But you're a little bit stupid," he scoffed derisively.

"No. I'm not. I'm aware he pushed me away to protect me. He explained it a dozen times. I would have followed that man through hell to be with him," she said, her voice quavery.

"He knows that. Which is why he went to such extremes to make your stubborn ass listen and do what's best for you and the baby," Enji sighed, puffing on the cigarette making sure to blow the smoke away from her. "I know who Toya is now and what he does. I haven't had delusions about that for quite a while. So it's best you stay away from him like he wants. He knows the people he is dealing with a hell of a lot better than you."

Melina turned away, facing out into the night so she would not have to look at him. Tears stung her eyes but as a matter of pride could not let them fall.

"Why are you here?" she questioned him outright rather than contemplating if he had some ulterior motive. "I thought I was to stay here alone."

"Until Shoto arrives, I'm going to stay close to you to protect you. I already know you did something stupid to put yourself on Tomura Shigaraki's radar. It must be bad for Toya to go through the lengths he did to shove you away all for the sake of protecting you," he said, approaching her.

Melina did not bother correcting him this time because he had make it quite clear he was not confused about his wayward son's identity. His heavy hand on her shoulder made her jump and wrench away from him.

"You're skittish as a feral cat," he commented, backing away from her.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really. But you have no reason to be afraid here."

She hoped not. That was why she gave in to Shoto's crazy idea of her living in this house.

"Will I get to meet your other two children?" she asked.

"Eventually. They don't know you're here yet. Besides, I'm a little nervous about you meeting my other son. I don't want you to corrupt him in the strange way you have with us Todoroki men."

Wasn't that the damn truth? The way he presently spoke about her made her feel like the Todoroki men's dirty little secret and their Kryptonite.

"I'm hoping I've corrupted you in a good way, Enji Todoroki," she stated flatly, hugging her arms around her body as the chill sank deeper into her bones.

"I fear you've completely ruined my other two sons, Killer Queen," he said, taking a long draw from the cigarette. "I'd rather you not destroy the third."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. Besides, I never intentionally set out to fall in love with Dabi. Shoto drew me in and made me care for him because he cared for me so purely and deeply. That boy needs love and deserves it. He would like to have yours, you asshole. Just like Toya. Just once before he ran away, all you had to do was say with sincerity, I love you, I'm proud of you. But you just couldn't do it, could you?" she asked, her voice shrill with intense emotion; a mixture of righteous indignation, unadulterated fury, and sorrow from the needless tragedy of it all. "Don't let Shoto slip through your fingers too! Or your other children!"

Melina inhaled to say something else but was rendered speechless when he enclosed her body with his strong arms and pulled her in for a fatherly embrace. Her body stiffened, remaining ramrod straight in his arms.

His body packed with bulky muscle mass was not like being pressed into a brick wall as she had she expected it to be. He was warm and comforting, holding her gently but firmly. A hug like Shoto's; one that told her _'I won't let you because you need this.'_

"This is weird," she whispered, unable to find her voice and speak louder.

"This is really weird for me too," he confessed, letting her go.

Enji assumed correctly that if she was being a smart ass, she was okay to be freed his embrace. He retreated quickly to his previous position by the porch post, at least four feet away from her. He refused to look at her, keeping his face turned toward the yard to avoid eye contact.

Melina wished she could see more than the vague image of him in the dim light from the numerous stars above. She would love to see a blushing Enji Todoroki.

"So all of a sudden you're claiming Toya as your son again," she said to change the subject.

Usually people will shift to a less uncomfortable topic of discussion, but not Melina. Sometimes she truly could be a masochist.

"How else am I supposed to refer to him when speaking to you? I won't call him Dabi. That's not my son," he muttered, taking one last drag from the cigarette before dropping it onto the porch to stomp it out with his heel.

"I suppose that means your son pretty much doesn't exist. So then how are we supposed to handle this? What do we tell people about the pregnancy? Am I supposed to hide away here until after the baby comes? Then how do we explain the child?" she questioned him since he seemed to decide every action and word of those people in his circle of influence.

"Honestly, at this time, I'm not sure. I'll figure it out," he assured her, convinced of his own ability to determine how everyone perceived him and his life.

"I knew I could count on you. You seem to have an answer for everything. You're the number one hero after all. If you can't save your own dignity, what can you save?" she sighed, turning in preparation to walk away.

Talking to Enji Todoroki wore her out emotionally and physically. She was tired. Going to sleep should not be a problem now.

"Hey," he said, taking hold of her arm to stop her.

Melina reluctantly turned her head to look back over her shoulder at him. She held his intense gaze confidently. Small flames exuded from the skin of face allowing her to see his eyes more clearly in the soft glowing light giving the beautiful turquoise color a luminescence.

"I want to save my family. Not just myself."

She searched his eyes for sincerity as he stared at her, shockingly without intimidation. He looked sad, remorseful, yet determined. Her belly quivered with excitement and hopefulness. She hoped he meant those words.

"I expect you to help me do this." He spun her around as if she were a ballroom dancer and placed his hand flat on her belly.

Melina grabbed his wrist, her eyes never leaving his despite the apprehension that tightened her throat and made her body shake.

"You and this child can be what saves us all," he said, meaning every word as he held her gaze.

"I think that's a little unfair. We don't deserve that much credit or responsibility. It's up to you Enji Todoroki. You broke your family. You fix it."

"That's what I want to do. But I don't know how," he admitted, taking his hands away from her.

Enji ran his hands through his hair. He looked exhausted and frustrated.

"Me either," she murmured. "I don't even know how to help myself right now."

"I know," he sighed, turning his back to her.

Seeing him vulnerable, his guilt over the past and present misgivings about himself laid bare before her, made her afraid. Previously, she only saw this man as an impenetrable brick wall with no emotions except when he was trying to manipulate her.

Melina went to him, reaching out. Unsure if she should touch him, she pulled her hand back at first. Then she forced herself to be brave, to take a chance on him since he seemed to be willing to take a chance on her, risking emotions and affection to form a new familial bond.

She stretched out her hand, placing her fingertips on his back. When he started from her touch, she resisted the urge to draw back. Instead, she flattened her palm against his back between his shoulder blades.

"Somehow we'll do this together. Obviously steps have already been made in the right direction since Shoto reached out to you for help. And you reached back, offering your assistance. Thank you for that. But...for the first time in your damn life Enji Todoroki, be a father instead of a hero."

"I don't..." His voice trailed off and his shoulders sagged. "I don't know how."

"Well..." She placed her hand on her belly. "I don't know how to be a mother. I guess we all have a lot of learning to do."

Melina could actually see him transforming emotionally as he raised his head and straightened his shoulders, visually putting up the wall in front of her. She immediately stepped back from him.

"Hana will bring your breakfast to your room in the morning. I'll be here at one to pick you up for your appointment. You should get some sleep. It's important for you and the baby to rest properly," he said, dismissing her in a surprisingly polite and caring way.

"Yes, sir," she responded respectfully since he sounded so much like a real father at the moment.

Melina lay down on the soft bed, sinking into the fluffy feather mattress pad. He had taken great care to make her as comfortable as possible here, including all the creature comforts and then some. She found his thoughtfulness sweet and heartwarming. Seeing a kinder, gentler Enji Todoroki gave her hope that her child would grow up with a loving, happy family.

~\\..'../~

* * *

True to his word, when Melina awoke she found the little table in her sitting area laden with a traditional Japanese breakfast including salmon, rice, miso soup, and a salad as well as green tea. All extremely healthy food for her and the baby.

She sat down to eat, pleased the food was still warm. Enji Todoroki ran his household with business like efficiency and precision. Hana had worked for him for so long she probably knew what the man needed before he did.

After breakfast, Melina finished unpacking the rest of her belongings in an attempt to settle into her new home. She placed her grandmother's book on the bedside table, her fingers drifting down the sky blue cover.

A glimpse of the clock nearby told it was a little after noon. Time to take a shower and get ready to see the doctor. Father would be coming soon. The thought of formally calling him Father would probably irritate him which made her chuckle.

When she exited the shower, the smell of food caught her attention. Once again, Hana quiet and stealthy as ever, had made another delivery of healthy food.

Melina would be a spoiled princess in no time at this rate, living like royalty in the house of the King of Heroes. She had expected to continue do things on her own only having the benefit of living rent free.

Promptly at one, there was a tapping on the door of her sitting room.

"Come in," she called, finishing her rolled omelet from the bento box Hana had made for her.

"Young Miss, the master is here and waiting for you in the driveway," Hana informed her with a bow.

Melina stood up, straightening the skirt of her pale yellow sundress before grabbing her purse and running for the door. Her stomach fluttered nervously. Today would be her first official check up for the baby.

Gradually, her pregnancy would become even more of a reality. Presently it was still easy to detach from the truth of the matter. She could convince herself she was not actually pregnant. Soon she would hear the heartbeat, then feel the little kicks inside of her. Eventually, she would see the undeniable proof of the ultrasound - the first picture of her baby.

Running out onto the porch, Melina stopped short when she saw the red Jeep sitting in the driveway rather than the limousine she anticipated. Enji Todoroki sat in the fire engine red, sporty vehicle with no top and no doors on it. He was wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses to combat against the blazing sun.

"Seriously?!" she yelled, placing her hand on her hip and not moving from the porch. "That doesn't look safe!"

"What's wrong? You don't trust me? It's a beautiful day for a drive!" he exclaimed, revving the engine.

Had anyone ever gotten to see this side of him? Maybe his girlfriends. However, they most likely never saw this aspect of his personality either. It wasn't his personality they were after.

"Come on! We need to go or you'll be late!" he shouted at her, growing impatient and scowling at her.

Seeing a glimpse of his usual self was somewhat comforting, alleviating her anxiety. She ran down the steps and hopped into the vehicle.

"Seat belt," he prompted her.

Once she was buckled in, he shifted gears and hit the gas. The rocket like take off pushed her behind and back into the seat.

"Safe, huh?" she shrieked over the wind, grabbing her hair that whipped her face. "And no, I don't trust you. You're scaring the hell out of me with this charming and laid back, good guy act!"

"What makes you think it's an act?"

Melina glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll give you one thing, Miss Zusa, you're honest! I guess you're just going to have to trust me!"

"You have no idea what you're asking!"

"Actually, I do," he said in a normal voice as they pulled to a stop. "I'm painfully aware it's not going to be easy for anyone to trust me."

"Trust and respect is earned. Not demanded. You've got an even more difficult road to travel with your family."

"I know."

Enji slammed the Jeep into gear and took off like a shot.

"Whoa! If this ride doesn't kill me, I'm going to kill you!" she threatened.

Enji gave her a lopsided, mischievous grin and shifted into the next higher gear.

Melina kept her mouth shut and hung on for the rest of the ride. By the time they reached their destination, her hair was hopelessly tousled and frizzy. She did her best to tame it with her fingers since she did not have a comb or brush in her purse.

"Why are we at the hospital?" she inquired, recognizing the building despite being parked on the front side.

She was accustomed to entering through the back after walking through the park every time she and Shoto had visited Rei.

"The doctor's office is on the fourth floor, the same floor as the maternity ward. Since he delivers babies, the location is more convenient don't you think?" he asked sounding only the slightest bit condescending. Old habits die hard - and slowly.

"Makes sense," she agreed, hopping out of the vehicle rather than waiting for him to help her out.

"You're too damn independent," he muttered.

"Sweet terra firma!" she exclaimed.

Although getting down on her hands and knees to kiss the ground was tempting, she digressed because she didn't want to mess up her dress. Her hair was already a disaster and that was enough.

"My driving is not that bad," Enji grumbled, walking toward the hospital and leaving her behind due his lengthy strides.

"Yes, it is!" she argued, almost having to break into a full run to catch up with him.

No one seemed to take notice of the number one hero as he strode past them. Did they really not recognize him simply because he did not have his flames showing and was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with sunglasses on his face? It was like a Clark Kent/Superman thing. Glasses and a suit had done wonders for Clark Kent, hiding his hero alter ego. Apparently it worked for Enji Todoroki too.

By the time she caught up with him at the elevators, the doors opened for them to go inside. After reaching the fourth floor, he stepped out without waiting for her. He was making her get her exercise by forcing her to try to keep up with him.

"Can I help you, sir?" the receptionist inquired cheerily, smiling broadly.

She seemed to recognize him by the gleam in her eyes and excessively wide grin on her face. However, she remained professional without addressing him by name. Apparently he had requested the highest degree of discretion when making her appointment.

Well, damn! He possibly could manipulate the public at large and how they not only perceived but treated him and his family.

"We're here for the two o' clock appointment," he said, leaning on the counter in front of her.

"One minute, please." The woman lowered her eyelashes and blushed as she picked up the phone to make a call.

"Oh, my god," Melina muttered, rolling her eyes and turning her back on the flirty scene.

"Right this way, sir," a young woman called to them from a door beside the receptionist's desk.

Melina entered first with Enji behind her. They followed the nurse to a with a room with a chair, a scale, and cabinets full of medical paraphernalia. She asked the basic questions including the date of Melina's last menstrual cycle. She honestly had no idea when her last period had occurred so she gave her best guess going on Recovery Girl's estimation of the length of her pregnancy and the subsequent time that has passed.

The nurse took her vitals; blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight, logging each result in a paper chart rather than a computer. Then she drew four vials of blood. After that, they were led to an examining room.

The doctor entered, and he barely looked older than her. Melina had expected a kindly old doctor who had delivered all of the Todoroki progeny not a recent medical school graduate.

He poked and prodded her abdomen then asked Enji to leave the room when the nurse returned and prepared for a more intense examination. When that was over, the doctor pulled out a device that looked like a small plastic box with old school headphones and a stethoscope attached to it.

"Well, you do seem to be about ten weeks along," the doctor confirmed, placing the headphones on his ears. "Want to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

"Oh, yes, please," she answered, tears springing to her eyes. All of this was happening almost too fast.

"Bring the grandfather back in," the doctor ordered the nurse as he gave Melina a second set of earphones.

"Grandfather," Melina repeated, giggling to herself.

Enji returned to the room, his face pinching into a worried expression when he saw her lying on the table with her belly exposed and the doctor pressing the stethoscope in random spots.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," she nurse assured him, handing him a set of earphones after plugging them into the doppler lying on the small metal instrument table. "You're going to hear the heartbeat."

The doctor continued to press the bell of the doppler to her abdomen, searching for the tiny baby inside. All three of them listened intently only hearing a noise not unlike the wind on the ride to the hospital.

Then an odd sound, like a mechanical drumbeat could be heard ever so softly among the static background noise. The doctor moved the stethoscope toward her right side and the sound grew louder. A fast but steady rhythm of the somewhat robotic thumping filled their ears.

Melina's eyes met Enji's. Her body trembled with both fear and happiness simultaneously over receiving one more confirmation of her pregnancy and her impending motherhood status. She closed her eyes as the first tear fell.

"Oh, my god," she sniffled.

Enji took her by the hand, squeezing it. He gently stroked her head as she cried.

"It's okay. Everything will be all right," he assured her.

"Maybe. Maybe it will be."

She wanted to believe with all of her heart everything would be fine. She wanted this baby to be the blessing he seemed to think it would be, the glue that would repair the shattered, broken family and hold them together. The fact this child was already so important to him gave her great comfort and hope for the future.

After the appointment, Enji took her to the downtown shopping district. He bought her an ice cream cone, a large scoop of chocolate with ribbons of peanut butter running through it.

"So is this my treat for being a good girl at the doctor's office?" she joked, digging her spoon into the ice cream nestled in the waffle cone.

"Well, I think the occasion called for more than a lollipop. Don't you?" he teased back, taking a big bite of the chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cone of his own.

Melina gazed into the wide display window of the store. She saw little baby and toddler sized mannequins dressed in pastel clothing decorated with cartoonish animals. Furniture, cribs and swings and playpens, along with dozens of toys created a nursery scene around them.

"We should start shopping for those things soon," Enji suggested, looking into the window with her.

"Not yet. I need...I need a little time. Besides, we should wait. You know, just in case..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Nothing will happen. The doctor said everything is fine," he said, then his voice turned lower and a little grim in tone. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you. You'll bring a beautiful baby into this world. Safe and healthy. A new generation of Todorokis."

"Yeah."

Hopefully a new legacy would begin - a legacy of love. Family ties rebuilt between the members of the Todoroki household and further strengthened by that love.


	23. Chapter 23

Melina heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway. She wasn't expecting visitors, not even Enji. Yesterday he had informed her he had important matters to attend to today and would be gone all day.

Putting the book face down on the bed to hold her place, she left her comfy spot to go investigate who had arrived. She was spending a quiet morning reading about what to expect in the upcoming months of her pregnancy.

Pulling on a white button down shirt to preserve her modesty, she held it together over her body skimpily clad in a red cropped tank top and short denim shorts.

"Hana? Hana?" she called as she walked down the hall toward the front door.

Hana must be in the kitchen. She was going to ask if the Master of the house had warned her about guests today and to make preparations. Since the kitchen was at the back of the house, the woman could not hear her or the visitors so she continued toward the door.

She heard the doors of the vehicle opening and closing, then two male voices speaking to each other. One belonged to the driver employed by the Todoroki family, Hibiki, and other belonged to -

"Shoto," she breathed, her heart fluttering.

Melina threw open the door, rushing across the porch, and running down the steps. She ran toward him at full speed, launching herself at him.

"Whoa!" he yelled, dropping the suitcases he had just lifted out of the trunk to catch her.

"I've missed you!" she cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I can tell," he murmured, hugging her back. "I've missed you too."

Melina unhinged herself from him to grab one of the suitcases.

"Put that down," he said, trying to take the piece of luggage from her.

"I'm pregnant, Shoto, not helpless. I can do this," she assured him.

She carried the suitcase inside while Shoto and Hibiki took care of the others, following her to the room that would be Shoto's.

"Where's Dad?" he asked her when they were alone in his room.

"He went to the hospital," she replied, watching him carefully for his reaction. "He wants to visit your mother."

His eyes widened in shock, staring blankly at her.

"What?" he inquired as if he had not heard her correctly.

"He actually went to consult with her doctors first. He figured it would be best to speak to them before seeing her, to have a consultation on how to go about reconciling with her. He wants to do things the right way without hindering her healing," she explained.

Shoto dropped heavily onto the bed, still suffering from the shock of the revelation.

"It sounds so poetic when you say it that way. I don't know what seeing him might do to her. I was worried," he admitted.

"I know, but your father is smart enough to understand that just randomly walking into her room one day after all this time of not seeing him might destroy the progress she has made."

For a split second, anger registered on his previously passive face. His eyes caught hers after he masked the flash of fury.

"You sound as if you admire my Father."

"I prefer to call it a tentative respect fostered by a mutual understanding. We've gotten to know each other quite well in the past few weeks."

Melina stopped short of continuing on to say she has many things in common with Enji Todoroki and that common ground enabled them to form a bond of sorts.

"Should I be jealous?" he asked, only half joking.

"No," she scoffed, placing her hand on his chest over his heart. "It's definitely a father/daughter relationship. Nothing romantic at all."

"In that case..."

Shoto stood back up taking her face between his hands and placing a delicate kiss on her lips. A kiss so tender it was like a butterfly's wings brushing across her lips. The sweet kiss made her heart pound in her chest with the sound and power of a hundred horses.

Melina pressed her cheek into his red t-shirt, savoring his embrace when his arms enclosed her and pulled her close. She sighed contentedly while he stroked her head down to the nape of her neck where she had pulled her hair back into a low ponytail.

"Did my Father talk to you about the arranged marriage?" he questioned her.

"Yes, he did. I told him absolutely not. I couldn't believe he would bring up such an archaic, misogynistic idea."

Melina felt Shoto's body stiffen against hers. She leaned her head back to look up at his face. His cheeks were red, his eyes glassy and downcast. He appeared hurt, profoundly wounded as if she had stabbed him in the heart.

"How did you know about that?" she asked him.

"Because," he began, his voice so thick with emotion he had to clear his throat before continuing. "It was my idea."

"What? What are you saying?"

She pressed her fingertips under his chin, lifting it up from his chest so he would look at her. His dual colored irises reluctantly met hers.

"I'm saying that I want to marry you. I asked him to discuss it with you."

"Shoto? You didn't...I mean you can't...I don't believe this," she scoffed, wanting to believe that he was lying.

If he was poking fun at her, the joke was being made at his own expense. She did not find this funny for any reason. When his eyes moved away from hers, avoiding looking back at her, her heart grew heavy in her chest.

"Are you being serious? Why didn't you just discuss marriage with me yourself."

"Come on, Melina," he muttered, dropping his arms from around her body. "You would have laughed in my face. You would have patted my head and been mildly amused by the lovesick little boy asking you to marry him."

Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong. Her face grew warm with embarrassment. He knew her too well. She did not want to admit to herself she would react in such a way and say such demeaning things to him. There was no reason to hurt him further by vehemently denying she would do such a thing. She was glad he turned his back to her instead of placing his piercing gaze on her.

"But why an arranged marriage?" she asked.

"I suggested an arranged marriage because I knew you would never agree to marry me otherwise," Shoto answered truthfully.

 _Damn. Correct again._

"But your Father acted as if it was his idea. I thought...I believed he was going to force me into marrying you against your will. But you're too - "

"Yeah. I know. I'm too young. I don't know what I'm doing. You don't want me to ruin my life by loving you. You've told me all of this before," he growled.

Melina went to him, pressing her face against his back between his shoulder blades. Despite his body growing rigid as he stood up tall and ramrod straight, resisting her touch and her affection, she enclosed his waist with her arms anyway.

"I wasn't going to say that. Not now. What I was going to say is you're too precious for me to lose you. Everyone I've ever really loved has been lost to me for one reason or another," she murmured, tightening her arms around him as if to hang on to him so he would not disappear before her eyes. "I lost my grandmother to a natural death which I know is an inescapable part of life. My parents were taken away by fire...by no fault of their own or mine. And then Dabi..."

She paused when she felt him flinch in her arms as if she had physically punched him in the gut instead of just metaphorically. Mentioning Dabi was not to hurt him, only to make her point that everyone she loved disappeared from her life for one reason or another.

"Dabi and I can't be together for reasons obvious to you so I don't need to explain them. Time...accidents...circumstances...Something always happens to the ones I love. I can't lose you," she whispered, loosening her hold on him so he could turn in her arms to face her.

Shoto once again took her face in his hands. His palms were soft and gentle on her on her cheeks, his brief kiss even more so on her lips. He gazed down at her, his eyes examining her earnest face with sincere love and heartbreaking sadness.

"Keep this up, and you will lose me, Melina," he warned her. "You can only shove me away so many times before I give up. You know how that feels, right?"

Melina grew nervous, her belly turning somersaults. She hoped he wasn't about to go where she believed he was, saying something that would cut her to the core. Her eyes shifted apprehensively from his blue eye to his smokey gray iris then back again repeatedly.

 _Please, don't_ , she begged silently, but she already knew where this was going.

"Just like Dabi rejected you one too many times despite his real feelings, you finally acted in self-defense and gave up on the relationship. You said it yourself, love can get you only so far. Keep saying I shouldn't care, that you don't want me, I'll begin to believe you. Then I'll have no choice but to walk away," Shoto said. "Exactly like you did from Dabi."

Although his words weren't intended as a threat, only as an extremely stern warning, the forceful statements were like punching her in the gut repeatedly. Her emotions were bruised and sore. Due to his tactics being a bit brutal, she got the point. She understood without the slightest bit of misunderstanding of either his intention or his meaning.

"I'm scared, Shoto," she confessed, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I am absolutely terrified."

"Silly woman," he chuckled, tugging on her ponytail playfully. "Haven't you realized I don't want to go anywhere? I want to be with you and only you."

"I know, but - "

"Shut up...just shut up," he commanded her, placing his mouth over hers for a more passionate kiss.

"Mmmm," she mumbled, pulling away from him before he could push her down onto the bed.

"Dammit," Shoto grumbled irritably as she turned away.

"Come 'ere!" Melina exclaimed, pulling him behind her with an iron hard grip on his wrist. "I want to show you something."

"I like where this is going," he said as she tugged him into her bedroom across the hall.

Melina opened the top drawer of her dresser pulling out a tube of something and a box. She lay down on the bed on her back, placing a pillow under her head to get comfortable. Opening the white over-shirt to bare her belly, she waved him over to sit down.

"I REALLY like where this is going."

Opening the box, she pulled out a rectangular electronic device with cords attached to it. His excitement waned when she handed him what looked like the part of a stethoscope that goes in the ears. He studied it questioningly then stared at her.

"What the hell is this?" he asked as she was fitting another set of earpieces hooked to the listening device into her ears.

"It's called a fetal doppler. I want you to hear the baby's heartbeat," she explained, patting the bed beside her.

"Oh," he gasped, his face turning as red as his hair.

"What did you think it is?" She blinked innocently as she gazed at him waiting for an answer.

His blushed deepened until he was nearly purple. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I had no idea what it is."

Melina was too excited about him hearing the baby's heartbeat to hazard a guess at what dirty thoughts he might have been having. She squirted a little bit of the gel from the tube onto her belly. The gel would allow the device to slide easily over skin and also amplify the sound.

Pressing the round device that resembled a microphone to her presently flat belly, she moved it around as the nurse had to find the heartbeat. Her waist had thickened a little over the last week, tightening the waistband of her shorts.

Anxiety started to take hold of her when she did not hear anything. Her heart beat faster, and her breathing quickened. Her search for the baby's heartbeat grew a little desperate. She pressed the wand more firmly to her belly, keeping her movements slow. The baby was still quite tiny and elusive, hiding deep in her womb.

Unbuttoning her shorts and pushing them down a little below her hips, she finally found the electronic sounding pulse close to her right hip bone. She breathed a sigh of relief as the unusual but consoling sound filled her ears.

"Oh, my god," Shoto exhaled, unable to speak above a whisper.

Melina opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were big and round, staring straight ahead as he concentrated on the steady and fast thrum in his ears.

"That's our baby," he murmured.

Every nerve in her body stood on edge after hearing his emotional proclamation. _Our baby._ Had he really said that? He already claimed the child as his own? How far had he gone with this marriage thing in his mind?

"Shoto - "

"Shhhh!" he hissed at her a little more intensely than he meant to. "I'm sorry. I just want to listen."

Closing her eyes, Melina forced herself to keep calm. Recently her emotions had begun to run rampant as a byproduct of the influx of hormones glutting her system to maintain the pregnancy. Perhaps he simply meant 'our baby' in the sense of family.

That's how his Father always referred to the child. The baby didn't belong to just her or Dabi. The child would be another Todoroki, an addition to the family and all of their lives. They not only had they accepted the baby, they accepted her. She was on the verge of having a real family again.

Something warm and wet trickled from her eye and soaked the hair at her temples. Her nose began to run, making her sniff which in turn made her aware of the fact she was crying.

"Oh, dammit," she sniffled, wiping the tears away with the corner of her white over-shirt.

"What's wrong?" Shoto asked.

"I'm just so happy," she sobbed bursting into a fit of tears.

"Oh, my god, I don't understand women," he muttered, pulling the earpieces out of his ears.

"Here," she snapped, flinging the book at him after picking it up from where she had laid it down on the bed. "Read this. It might help answer a few questions."

"What to expect...well, okay," he replied gamely.

Shoto moved to lean against the headboard of the bed. He snatched the pillow from under her head.

"Hey!" she cried out despite the fact she was getting up anyway.

"Come sit beside me. We'll both read," he said.

After putting the device away in the dresser drawer, Melina went to the bathroom to wipe the goo from her belly and button up her shorts. She returned to the bed, scooting over to be close to him. Placing the second pillow beside him to support her back, she leaned her head over on his shoulder.

"Everything became so much more real when I heard the baby's heartbeat." She pressed her hands to her belly. "There's a real baby growing in there. My baby."

"Our baby," he corrected her, placing his cool palm against her warm abdomen.

"Our baby," she repeated, her eyes connecting with his. "Shoto, will you be my birth and labor coach?"

"What?"

"You'll be the one who will be there to support me during labor and while the baby is being born. You can handle that right? If you don't think you can stomach it, I can ask your dad. It would be a little weird having him there but - "

"No!" he yelled fervently which made her pull away from him and stare at him in surprise. He repeated at a much lower volume, "No. I'll be happy to do it."

"Thank you," she said, returning to her previous position to laying her head on his shoulder and snuggling up to him.

"I think the only thing I'll struggle with is seeing you in that much pain," he admitted, placing his hand on the thigh of her leg that was thrown across his.

"You'll do fine. And so will I. I'm frightened out of my mind but with you close to me, I can do this," she murmured, stifling a yawn.

"Tired?" He patted her leg affectionately as his eyes skimmed over the words on the page.

"A little. I get tired easily these days."

"It says here that fatigue is normal in the first trimester. It should get better during the fourth month at the beginning of your second trimester. You should be starting your fourth month soon, right?"

"Next week."

"Oh...but the excessive tiredness could return in the last three months of your pregnancy. Or last the entire pregnancy. I hope not."

"Look at you...you'll be an expert in no time at all," she joked with him, laughing lightly.

"I just want to do everything I can to help you...to be as understanding as possible of what you're going through," he said, patting her leg absentmindedly while reading.

"Oh, my god," she gasped, raising her head to look at his face.

"What?" He stared at her in confusion.

"You are a good man, Shoto Todoroki."

"I know," he returned with a cocky sideways grin and mock egotism.

Melina leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. She placed her lips close to his ear.

"That's why I love you," she confessed.

Shoto put the book down on her abandoned pillow. He slid his arms around her shoulders, holding her against his chest. His cheek lay alongside hers, his lips close to her ear so he could whisper to her.

"Will you wait for me?" he asked, squeezing her in his strong embrace. "Wait for me to get older and marry me."

"Of course I will. Great things are worth waiting for."

"Yes, they are," he agreed wholeheartedly.

Melina lay her head on his chest. Content and happy, feeling safe and loved, she fell asleep in his arms.

~\\..'../~

* * *

"Goddammit," Dabi snarled through his clenched teeth, spittle flying all directions as if he was a mad dog.

He punched his fist through the wall of the dilapidated hotel. He didn't give a damn about putting another hole in the wall to add to the many he had already put there.

"Awwww," Himiko cooed with mocking sympathy. "Experiencing regret and jealousy again I presume."

Dabi ignored her taunting, his shoulders rising and falling with each panting breath. He simmered in his own anger and misery. Seeing them together, Shoto and Melina, made him regret everything.

But he had seen her many times since she moved onto the Todoroki property. Having lived there for fifteen years, he knew the property and all of its private entrances and hiding places quite well.

Shoto would be living there with her temporarily until the end of summer break from school. In a little over a month, a lot could happen. Melina and Shoto had already gotten awfully close romantically.

Dabi was the one who had insisted to both of them that they be together. After actually seeing them together, asleep in the same bed, wrapped in each others arms, he had no clue what the fuck he was thinking.

 _"I would have followed you through hell."_ Her words haunted him. He regretted his decision to give up, to let her go, believing he was doing what was best for her. At the time his choice made sense.

"You have no one to blame but yourself," Himiko needled him, plopping down on his bed.

"Is there something you want?" he growled at her, finally turning to face her.

"You know what I want."

What he saw took his breath away. Himiko had once again transformed herself into Melina. She lay there on his bed dressed in nothing but a black lace bra and panties.

Every time she morphed into Melina, she went through the trouble of recreating the facade down to the scars across Melina's breasts and hips that were presently visible through the lace of the underwear set. The woman was positively relentless in her quest to seduce him.

"Stay out of the fucking lab. Damn you, Himiko," he grumbled. "Get out."

"Just give in," she said, gracefully removing her body from the bed like a cat awakening from a nap.

She ran her fingers through her long silky black hair as she approached him. Her hands glided along her body, drawing his attention to her curves - Melina's curves. She slid her hands over her breasts, down her abdomen, and between her thighs. Wherever her hands went, his eyes followed.

"Just pretend," she tempted him, putting her arms around his waist. "Just lose yourself in the fantasy that I'm her. It's so easy."

Standing on her tiptoes, the fake Melina kissed his neck. He closed his eyes and groaned, hating her and hating himself more. Her mouth dropped kisses along the full length of his neck. Her hands explored his chest under his t-shirt.

At this moment, furious and reliving painful memories, he lacked the willpower, or desire, to stop her as she pressed her hand to throbbing bulge below his waist.

"Call me by her name," Himiko said in Melina's voice. "I don't care. Give me what I want, and I'll give you what you want."

"And just what is that, Himiko?" he demanded, burying his hands in the soft hair that was just like Melina's. For all basic intents and purposes, it was hers - an exact copy.

"You want her, I want you. We both get what we want. We're both happy. What's the problem?"

"There's no problem."

Dabi grabbed her by the arms, pulling her into him in a crushing embrace while placing a savage kiss on her mouth. His fingers curled around the front of the bra between her breasts. With a forceful jerk, he snatched the bra from her body.

Picking her up, keeping his mouth on hers, he took her to the bed. Throwing her, tossing her like a sack of potatoes, he recalled the moment he had done the same thing to Melina. The woman had fought him like a madwoman, defending her life. She had kicked and punched him with all of the hate and anger inside of her.

He had taken her strikes willingly because he wanted the pain, he felt like he deserved it. Once again he had stirred her wrath on purpose by attacking her. The only difference from then until now was that he had gone for her heart, tearing it apart. She still gave him pain, and he still deserved it.

Himiko as Melina did not fight back which disappointed him. She blushed and panted like a horny animal, clawing at his t-shirt to tear it from his body. He seized the pair of underwear she was wearing, ripping them off which made her cry out as if she had orgasmed at that very second.

Before she could sink her claws into him again, Dabi unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He did not bother taking them all the way off before he dropped to his knees between her legs. With a single barbaric thrust, he buried himself inside of her making her scream in sheer bliss.

Closing his eyes tightly, he thrust into her wet and willing body with abandon. He was going to fuck the brains out of the wolf in sheep's clothing because she had asked for it. He would find solace in the fake, the woman hiding behind Melina's face, then maybe she would stop torturing him by appearing as her.

"Melina, Melina, Melina," he chanted to convince himself of the elaborate sham.

"Ooooh, Dabi!" Himiko cried out in return, thankfully using Melina's voice instead of her own.

 _If only you were actually Melina_ , he thought, driving himself into the woman under him over and over. But she wasn't. So this doppelganger would have to do, giving him some modicum of solace.

Finally he reached his end not caring if she experienced an orgasm or not. She got what she wanted. He had fucked her. Himiko never asked for an orgasm, and he never promised her one.

Dabi quickly moved from the bed and away from her when it was over.

"Leave," he commanded her.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. You were fucking fantastic," she complimented him as she stood up from the bed.

Pleased as she could be with herself, she hummed an upbeat little tune on her merry way to the door. Himiko did not bother retrieving the torn undergarments, leaving them on his bedroom floor where he had haphazardly discarded them. Proudly continuing to wear Melina's appearance, she exited his room stark naked slamming the door behind herself and rattling the faded pictures on the wall.

Dabi turned on only the hot water, wanting to boil his body to rid himself of the filth of guilt and shame. He could not wash it off. The remorse and self-loathing clung to him like a disease.

Melina had begged him not to go - not to leave her behind. How could that idiot not understand his intentions? But maybe she did. He had not given her a choice. In the end, she had acquiesced to his wishes and given up on him.

"Dammit, dammit all to hell," he muttered, holding his head in his hands. "How can I ever tell you how sorry I am? I am so sorry I ever loved you to begin with. You were the worst thing that ever happened to me."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina lay awake in her bed, staring at the bare beams criss crossing the ceiling above her. Once again she was struck with the irrational urge to cry. Alone, not having anyone to witness her tears, she allowed them to flow unchecked.

Since she was crying anyway, she permitted herself to think of Dabi. She might as well give herself a real reason to cry.

As much as they had wanted to be together, some things could never be. The idea of the three of them, Dabi, herself and the baby, being a happy family living in a little house surrounded with a white picket fence was just not realistic. It was ludicrous at best.

Dabi was a member of the League of Villains. Although not a hero, she had aligned herself with them, immediately making herself his enemy. Although before leaving she had already successfully made enemies on her own out of many other villains just by virtue of being who she is. There was no way, in Heaven or Hell and certainly not on Earth, they could be together.

Rolling onto her side, she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the wail forcing its way up her throat, transforming it into a gasping sob when it reached her lips. She whimpered and mewled, doing her best to pour out her pain but to do it quietly without disturbing the overprotective man across the hall.

Melina got out of the bed, escaping the house through the door leading outside from her sitting room. The cool night breeze gave her relief from the oppressive heat that had engulfed her.

She walked around to the stairs at the back of the house, following the path that weaved through a garden. The path led to a small red arched bridge built over a large koi pond. When the path restarted on the other side, it went through another garden to the swimming pool that was like a tropical getaway in the back yard.

Surrounded by shrubbery and hibiscus plants, there was a fake rock formation resembling a small mountain with a waterfall which fed into the hot tub and overflowed into the lagoon like pool heating it year round.

 _I should go swimming soon. Swimming is great exercise that would be good for me and the baby_ , she thought, sitting on the edge of the round blue tiled hot tub.

Spinning on her behind, she lifted her legs over the side and sunk them up to her knees into the warm water. She was wearing a t-shirt and pajama shorts, her typical bedtime attire. If only she had put her swimsuit on before coming out. But other things had her mind occupied making her flee from her room.

"Oh, what the hell," she mumbled, dropping her entire body into the soothing water.

In a few short weeks she would no longer be able to enjoy the hot tub because it would raise her body temperature too much for the baby. Besides, her pajamas could be washed and be good as new. It was only a little bit of chlorine water. Not much different than taking a bath with her clothes on.

Melina sighed, laying back in the water until it covered her ears and blocked out all sound. She raised her legs, floating in the tiny warm pool, relishing the soothing heat of the water surrounding her. So comforting, so relaxing.

 _Was it like this for babies in the womb?,_ she contemplated.

No wonder some babies were stubborn about being born. It was safe and warm inside. There was no pain. Why would they want to be born into a cold, hateful world teeming with noise and fear and pain?

"Oh, my god," she gasped, thinking about the child inside of her. "What have I done? I'm about to bring an innocent child into this horrible mess called my life."

Melina stood up, quickly exiting the hot tub to return to the house. When she entered her sitting room, she saw Shoto on the couch wearing nothing but his red and white plaid sleep pants. He glared at her standing there dripping on the Tatami mats.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I don't recall inviting you in here," she noted waiting for his excuse to explain his presence.

"I heard you crying. By the time I came in here, you were gone. I assumed you went for a walk to clear your head. I've noticed you have a habit of doing that when you're upset. What were you doing?"

"I got into the hot tub. Just for a few minutes," she added quickly before he could admonish her.

Perhaps she had made a mistake by giving him that book to read. He was like a mother hen running around behind her all day and half the night monitoring her food, her mood, and every little thing she did or didn't do. While she appreciated the fact he wanted to keep her and the baby healthy, she didn't appreciate being smothered and talked to like a child.

 _How many times have I spoken to him or treated him as if he were a child? But he really is...oh fuck never mind_ , she thought, giving up on trying to rationalize her actions to herself.

"I didn't mean to make you worry. I won't do it again," she promised, crossing the room to the enter her bedroom and go to the shower.

Shoto followed her - straight into the bathroom.

"Are you kidding me right now? Leave!" she ordered him, pointing to the door.

When he stood there staring at her, she growled and stepped into the shower to take off her wet clothes. Throwing them over the curtain, she hoped at least one of the sopping wet garments smacked him in the face.

"Are you angry with me?" he inquired after she turned on the water.

"No. I'm angry about a lot of things but none of them have anything to do with you," she answered truthfully.

"You still love him...don't you?"

 _Fuck...he always asks the most difficult and painful questions_ , Melina thought as she buried her head under the stream of hot water and took a minute to think before answering. Tell him the truth and hurt him or tell him a lie and hurt him? There was no way around it. No matter what she said, she would hurt him.

Turning off the shower, she stuck her arm out from behind the curtain, requesting a towel. She pulled the towel inside after he pressed it into her hand to dry off as best as she could before wrapping it around her body.

When she drew back the shower curtain, he was right there, standing almost nose to nose with her. She inhaled a deep breath to gather her courage and spoke. Everything about their relationship was going to be difficult and painful, but it was worth fighting for. So here goes...

"Yes. I still love Dabi. Down deep, I always will. He is the father of this child whether either of us like or not. That is a fact that will not change. Have you asked yourself can you truly love me..." She took his hand pressing it to her belly over the towel. "Can you love this child that belongs to him? If you don't think you can, we will end this now. I can take care of myself. I can move back to the U.S. and find my own place. Sure I'll be alone, but loneliness hasn't killed me yet. I'm a survivor of many things."

"I know. That's one of the many reasons I admire you. You really don't get it do you? I admire you. I respect you. I love you. I have so many feelings for you I don't think I can express them all. Can my brother say that? Did he even respect you?" he challenged her.

Melina stepped out of the shower, refraining from answering as she carefully considered his words. Now was not the time for off the cuff answers shouted during an outburst of fury.

After grabbing pajamas out of a drawer, she disappeared behind the privacy screen to get dressed. Shoto patiently waited for his answer sitting on her bed.

"Maybe a better question is, can you live with his memory?" Shoto questioned her when she appeared in front of him.

At that question, the true crux of the matter, she sat down on the bed beside him. Sighing wearily, the weight of her world fully pressing down on her shoulders, she forced herself to search her heart for her truth no matter how much it hurt.

"I guess we'll both have to learn to live with his memory," she said, not knowing what else to say. "I guess I finally understand why it's so easy for your Father to consider Toya as truly being dead. I'm tired, Shoto. We can talk about this later. I'm sure this subject will come back up."

"I'm afraid it will," he agreed, putting his arm around her. "Excess baggage galore for the both of us. I don't think this relationship could have gotten off to a worse start."

"Considering the circumstances, all of them, I don't think we're doing too badly."

"I suppose not."

"So if we make it - "

"When we make it," Shoto cut her off to correct her choice of words.

Melina turned toward him, returning his calm, genuine smile that warmed her heart.

"I like your positive attitude," she said without being sarcastic. "Things are going to be okay, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Eventually." He stood up to leave. "Well, good night, Melina."

"Shoto."

She spoke his name softly, reaching out to seize his wrist. He glanced back at her when she did not speak.

"You don't have to go," she said, pulling back the covers on the bed.

"Are you sure?" he asked without moving.

"We're only sleeping," she reminded him, sliding her body between the sheets and covering up.

Shoto lay down beside her on his back. She rolled over to turn off the lamp, then resumed the position of being on her back. Their hands touched on top of the covers. Her fingers threaded themselves between his to hold his hand.

"Good night, Shoto."

"Sweet dreams, Melina."

God, she hoped there would be sweet dreams.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: Firstly, I would to offer my sincerest apologies to those who read that literary train wreck I published the first time for this chapter. Too late I realized I had made a horrible mistake, but hopefully this rewrite is much better. Secondly, I decided to take a light an fluffy approach to transitioning to the next part of the story arc. And third, I know this version is a lot shorter, but I hope that it's a whole lot sweeter.

Second, I will include my shout outs this time because I do value you, the reader, giving me your time and attention by reading this. I greatly appreciate the follows and favorites. I am incredibly grateful for the reviews. Thank you so much for the encouraging words, the polite criticism, and sharing your thoughts.

Thank you to AstroLibra, I am always happy to get your review right out of the gate; Terrence Johnny Stanford for your lengthy and in depth reviews. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Justtryingnameshere, hinatayvonne, Dark Mystique, Coolfire30, Blackrabbz76, and curlystruggle. I read all of your reviews and appreciate them all.

I hope you all like the new chapter. I'll admit I'm nervous about it after my first mess up so please be gentle when reviewing.

* * *

Melina gradually awakened, becoming aware of her hand still clutching Shoto's. She had not dreamed at all last night which was positively phenomenal. Better no dreams than disturbing, intrusive thoughts of the past that interrupted her sleep in one way or another on an almost nightly basis.

Apparently being close to him made her feel safe and secure, banishing any nightmares. Shoto seemed to have slept pretty well himself - and continued sleeping despite her staring at him.

Neither one of them had moved an inch during the night, both staying flat on their backs, their fingers interlocked. She carefully unhinged her fingers from his, clenching and unclenching them to work out the stiffness.

Sitting up, she cast a glimpse at Shoto's face. In the muted light he looked positively cherubic, his cheeks round and rosy and his lips poked out in a relaxed pout. He looked so childlike and much younger than his already tender age of sixteen years.

Her mind recalled the conversation with Enji Todoroki about the arranged marriage. Instead of a child bride, Shoto would be a child husband; a willing party to the marriage, but seriously?! What were those two thinking? The idea of taking such drastic measures to avoid shame and protect the family name did not make sense to her.

Who was she kidding? So many things did not make sense to her right now.

Melina leaned over to kiss Shoto on the cheek before sliding out of the bed. She grabbed her red silk robe off of the hook beside the door on her out of her room.

The polished wooden floor was smooth and cool under her bare feet. The house was so quiet, so tranquil. She had already grown to love this place. She looked forward to raising her child here.

Melina made her way to the kitchen where she knew Hana would be busy preparing a delicious breakfast. The woman was an amazing cook. The soft sound of dishes clattering lightly met her ears as she neared the kitchen. She could hear the crunch as a knife chopped through fresh crispy vegetables then the thump as the blade met the surface of the massive wooden chopping block.

"Good morning, Hana," she said, respectfully greeting the kind woman with a bow.

"Good morning, young Miss," the grandmotherly woman returned with a bow. "Will the young Master be taking breakfast with you this morning?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied harking back to her Southern roots. They had their social customs to show respect, she had hers.

Melina poured herself a cup of water from the clear glass pitcher sitting on the butcher's block prep table laden with plates piled high with sliced vegetables and fruits prepped for use in the day's dishes. She snagged a pickled cucumber marinating in a bowl along with radishes and carrots.

Such a lovely display of colors and textures lay before her eyes. Everything smelled so fresh and healthy. She stole a piece of radish next. The vinegary tanginess offset the nausea swirling in her empty belly.

Hana playfully slapped the back of her hand when she reached for a carrot.

"Those are for lunch, young Miss. Here," she said, handing her a slice of ripe, juicy peach. "This is for breakfast. So are the cherries."

"Thank you." Melina popped the entire slice of peach into her mouth, reaching for a second slice.

"I am happy to see you have a good appetite this morning. I was beginning to worry about you. You have not been eating much lately due to the sickness," she said, beating eggs in a bowl. "Will the young Master be joining you in your sitting room for the morning meal? I assumed he would since he slept in your room last night."

Melina inhaled sharply sucking the copious amounts of peach juice down her throat. She sputtered and coughed, beating on her chest with her fist. Hana calmly picked up the glass of water, handing it to her. Although she knew the last thing she needed was more fluid, she tentatively sipped on the water in hopes of ceasing the coughing.

"Hana, I can explain - " Her words were cut short due to another fit of coughing.

"Please, don't young Miss. I have worked for this family for a very long time. I have heard many things and seen many things. It is not my duty to ask questions or pass judgment on those I serve. My duty is to take care of this family," she stated plainly. "You are a part of this family now."

A warm feeling spread throughout Melina's chest, covering her entire body like a soothing blanket. She loved being part of a family again. Soon she hoped to meet the rest of the family, but she knew Enji had good reasons not to let her officially be introduced to the other Todoroki children yet.

He had told her he needed time to make some amends of his own, to rebuild a connection with his children, before he introduced them to the American stranger who had unexpectedly become a permanent part of their lives. Whether she stayed or not, the baby would always be a Todoroki. Whatever happened, he did not want Fuyumi and Natusuo to resent her or the baby.

Enji Todoroki continued to shock her on a daily basis in all of the miraculous ways he was changing. He was becoming the family man he always wanted be down deep - way, way down deep. She earnestly believed the desire had always been there or none of this would be happening now. Her power of suggestion had only give him a nudge in the right direction.

That was something else he was right about. She never really had any unique, amazing quirk - only the power of suggestion to manipulate a person into acting on a desire they already had. The more easily her subject succumbed to her suggestions meant they were already inclined to commit those actions anyway as he had so indelicately pointed out to her.

"Young Miss?" Hana called to her, breaking through her musings.

"Hmmm...ma'am?" she asked.

"Breakfast will not be ready for almost another hour. I could make you some toast if you would like," Hana offered.

"Oh, no thank you. I had no idea it was still that early," Melina said, glancing at the clock on the stove that showed the time to be 6:37 in bright green letters. "I think I'll take a walk in the garden."

"Very good. A little walk in the fresh air will clear your mind and perk up your appetite."

Melina exited the kitchen through the back door. Although humid, the air was somewhat cool. Following the long, winding path through the different ornamental gardens, she found another oasis tucked into a back corner amid a grouping of large shade trees and clumps of Blood Grass so named due its stalks being bright red in color.

A pergola, an open-sided structure supported by pillars with a lattice framework over the top, sat in the middle of clusters of flowers in many shades of pinks, yellows, and blues planted in clay pots of varying sizes. A couple of the pots were almost as tall as her. A bamboo fountain was placed in front of the structure, fed by a little stream that disappeared through the thick bunches of Blood Grass. Most likely running downhill to irrigate the gardens below.

Melina sat down on one end of the beige cushioned outdoor couch under the pergola made of fragrant red cedar wood which gave her the impression it had recently been built. She wondered what other delightful little surprises she would find on the property if she took the time to explore it more.

The past several weeks before Shoto's arrival had been spent adjusting to her new living space. She was also getting to know her new 'Dad' who had the tendency to coddle her like a child which she found both endearing and disturbing. She never expected him becoming a grandpa would help further the rapid changes so drastically.

Enji took her shopping at least three times a week. If she offhandedly mentioned she liked something, it suddenly appeared in the house a few days later. That's probably where this little garden hideaway came from.

He pushed her into maternity shops and baby stores. She had not bought the first stitch of maternity clothing. So far she had avoided picking out furniture or any nursery items. Not even a stuffed animal has been purchased.

Although aware of her pregnancy, so far she had no daily reminders of the baby coming. She wanted to be happy about the baby; to experience the joy of looking forward to her advent into motherhood. The fear of having a miscarriage stayed in the back of her mind, needling her with doubts and stealing her joy. Not to mention when she thought about the baby, she thought about Dabi and that still hurt her heart.

Enji accused her of avoiding responsibility and acting like child. If anyone would know about those two things, he certainly would. But he was doing his best to recover from the damage of the past. He was trying to get past the wounds he caused his other children who would always bear the scars of his past mistakes.

Listening to the dribbling water and the rhythmic hollow thumping of the bamboo lever, Melina allowed her mind to drift to thoughts of the baby. Who would the baby look like? Would they favor her or Dabi more? Or would the child be a beautiful blend of the both of them? Perhaps a girl with her golden honey colored eyes and the Todoroki red hair, most likely the real color of Dabi's hair. Or maybe a boy with her black hair and Dabi's gorgeous blue-green eyes. She didn't care who the baby looked like really. Just as long as her baby arrived safe and healthy in five months.

The baby would be born in December. Would they arrive on Christmas Day? What a wonderful Christmas present! A name! A name needed to be picked out. Akane for a red headed girl. Or maybe Aiko would be better since the child would receive the love and affection of her entire family. Kazuki for a boy because he will bring peace and harmony to the Todoroki family. On and on her mind raced, flitting from one thought to the next.

"Melina?"

"Hmmm," she hummed in response, mulling over more names in head.

"Are you all right?" Shoto asked, sitting down beside her on the couch.

"I was just thinking," she answered, pulling her robe around her body self-consciously. "About the baby."

"Oh, I was hoping you were thinking about the proposal," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Proposal?" she murmured, perplexed.

When his eyebrow raised questioningly, she immediately knew what he meant.

"Oh, oh, oh...the arranged marriage. No, sweetheart, I haven't thought about it," she said, patting his hand that rested on her shoulder.

"Well, why not?"

"I've already told you I'm not doing that. That kind of marriage is more like a business deal. It also seems forced and going against at least one party's will. Besides, you're too young to legally get married."

"All we need is my Father's permission. I'm sure he would give it to us."

Every muscle in her body tensed. Yes, she was quite sure Enji would give his consent considering he had presented the arranged marriage to her as his idea. Him doing so made her wonder if he already knew she would be angry about the prospect and would rather her be angry with him instead of Shoto. Enji Todoroki was already stepping up in impressive ways to be a brand new and much better father, wanting to protect his children.

"What is the age when you no longer need parental consent to marry?" Melina asked Shoto.

"Eighteen," he answered quickly. "Why?"

"When we get married, I want it to be your decision, and your decision alone. I want to marry you without feeling like a pervert who is forcing you to do so under duress."

Melina turned to him so she could see his face when she put forth her own proposal for their future. She took one of his hands between hers, gazing directly into his dual colored eyes that held so many questions.

"How about this? After you turn eighteen, ask me to marry you," she suggested.

Strong emotion flashed through his eyes but disappeared before she could get a good read on his specific feelings. His face remained unsmiling, his eyes locked on hers, as he awaited more stipulations.

"When you propose, I want a ring. A nice one. A dozen roses, champagne, chocolate...the whole nine yards. I want you in a tuxedo and down on your knee...a sappy, old-fashioned American proposal."

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he refused to allow the smile to take hold. That expression reminded her so much of his brother causing her throat to constrict with tears she would not allow to fall. She waited for him to say something. Her eyes searched his that remained neutral, not giving her a hint as to what was going on inside of his head.

"Soooo...," she prompted him, still not getting an answer. "What do you think?"

"Okay," he replied gamely, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Okay then. So no more talk about marriage?"

Melina let go of his hand reluctantly when he stood to his feet. She anxiously chewed her lower lip while watching him walk away from her. Her eyes riveted themselves to his back as he leaned against one of the wooden support beams of the pergola. Although he kept his back to her, she could tell he had his arms folded across his chest which told her he was putting his defenses up.

 _Please understand my feelings, Shoto. I want to do this the right way. Please, don't close yourself off to me_, she begged him silently, biting her lip as her stomach nervously flipped and flopped like a fish out of water.

"I promise I won't ask you about getting married again since I already have my answer." He turned to face her, a small placid smile on his lips. "However, I reserve the right to talk about wedding plans."

Melina nodded and smiled.

"Fair enough."

"What do you think about a beach wedding? Me in jeans and a white button down shirt. No tie. No shoes. You in a pretty dress. Maybe something pink," he recommended. "Pink brings out your golden eyes."

Melina blushed from the heartfelt compliment.

"At sunset?" she added.

"At sunset," he agreed. "Just the family. Mom, Dad, Fuyumi, and Natsuo. All of us."

"I would really love that. I think it will be absolutely perfect."


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Notes: Hi, everyone. As some of you will recognize, I included some events from the chapter I deleted in this one.

AstroLibra, thank you for the review, and this chapter is dedicated to you for those two previously deleted scenes you mentioned (they have been changed a little).

To answer your question Heavenly Monster, this started out as an OC/Dabi fic. Due to the changes in their relationship, mostly because of the issues pertaining to Dabi being a villain, Shigaraki wanting to kill Melina, and her effectively switching sides to be with the heroes, their being together became impossible. An against all odds, love wins in the end plot with her and Dabi's relationship succeeding and them living happily ever after with white picket fences and a dozen kids would not have fit this story.

One of the reasons I like My Hero Academia is that small tinge of realism that lend the characters a whole new depth. Sometimes things don't always work out for the better, and there isn't always a happy conclusion to everything - even for the heroes. But they carry on, do their best, and live their lives as best as they can despite what happens.

Changing the love interest to Shoto adds an entirely different level of interest and tension while preserving the family dynamic as well which is a major theme of this story. Their relationship won't come easy either given they have their own unique set of problems.

With all of that being said, on with the chapter...please enjoy!

* * *

"What are we going to do today?" Shoto asked Melina over breakfast.

"I have a doctor's appointment at nine. We can go to the mall afterward. Shop a little. Have lunch. Sound good?" she questioned in return.

"Sure."

"I'm going to get ready."

Melina rolled up onto her knees from her sitting position on her cushion. Placing her palms flat on the table, she pushed herself up until her behind was in the air then she stood up straight.

"That was quite a production," Shoto teased her.

"I'm only four months pregnant. I didn't think getting up would become this difficult so soon. Maybe I should start doing yoga to improve my balance and keep my muscles strong. I've been lazy. Eating and sleeping too much," she muttered, allowing herself a luxurious stretch after the delectable breakfast of omurice.

"Your little pooch is cute," he commented, patting her slightly rounded belly which stuck out even more as she leaned back.

"Mmmm...thanks," she murmured, rubbing her little tummy. "I'll be back."

Melina had suggested shopping due to her clothes getting much tighter over the past two weeks. It seemed like each day her tummy grew a teeny bit more.

The summer days spent with Shoto were relaxing and fun. She already dreaded their time together ending when he returned to school. Every day had been the same, but every day had been glorious. A walk in the garden in the morning, breakfast, swimming with Shoto, lunch, a nap, and reading by the pool in the early evening before dinner, then to bed. Meals were always taken together. They kept their sleeping arrangements apart to avoid any temptation.

After trying on several things that were uncomfortably tight or did not fit at all, she found a loose pink sundress with a drop waist and short butterfly sleeves that somewhat fit and looked passable. Examining herself closely in the mirror, she sighed. The stretchy material of the dress pulled snugly across her middle. The time had come for her to give in to the inevitable and buy maternity clothes. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her pursed lips.

"This is happening," she whispered to herself, running her hand over the small baby bump.

"Ready?" Shoto called to her from the sitting room.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, walking through her closet to grab her shoes. She had so many pairs of shoes there was no way to keep them all by the door. "Let's go."

~\\../~

* * *

"Ms. Zusa," the nurse called.

The nurse perked up and smiled cheerfully at Shoto.

"Hello," she greeted him happily. "Are you the baby's father?"

"Uncle," Melina corrected her politely.

"Congratulations to the proud uncle," the nurse said, leading them to the back. "We've met grandfather as well. Maybe we will get to meet the father soon."

 _That's not going to happen_ , Melina thought, sadness casting a cold shadow over.

They followed the nurse into a room that was dimly lit. A single lamp on a table in the corner shed just enough muted golden light to allow them to see their way around to avoid bumping into medical equipment.

"I need you to change into this," the nurse said, extending a shapeless hospital gown to her. "Leave the opening to the front."

Melina took the piece of light green cotton fabric from her and disappeared behind the changing screen while the nurse directed Shoto to take a seat in the chair beside the examining table. A few minutes later, she reappeared from behind the screen clutching the gown in front. Despite having it tied with the strips of cloth sewn to the edges, the gaps between were far too big.

The nurse assisted her with getting onto the examination table while preserving her modesty then placed a blanket over her legs after she lay down. She carefully tucked the blanket around Melina's hips and under her thighs.

"What's going on?" Melina asked when the nurse untied the tie of the gown at her waist and pushed it open to reveal her belly.

"You're getting an ultrasound today. Your baby's first pictures," she announced in her exceedingly cheerful voice.

Melina held her breath as the nurse squirted the warmed gel on her belly. The flat headed ultrasound probe resembled an electric shaver. A fuzzy black and white image appeared on the monitor screen, wavering as the nurse moved the probe over her abdomen. Feeling movement at her side, she looked over to see Shoto standing at the table beside her, staring at the screen.

In the middle of the grainy grayish white field, there was an oval black space where the baby rested near the bottom of the void. The baby's head was huge, almost the same size as the small body. Completely formed arms and legs twitched as the nurse pushed mercilessly on her belly to get the baby to move. The tiny heart beat fast, a flickering black and white light.

"The black is the amniotic fluid. The baby's head looks over-sized but that is normal at this stage of pregnancy. The heart rate is a hundred and six which is also normal. It should range between ninety to a hundred and ten at this point," the nurse explained patiently as if to dispel her concerns one by one.

The nurse began clattering away at the keys on the keyboard. A tiny white arrow appeared on the screen pointing to toes which she typed in on the line behind it. She did the same thing for the fingers, umbilical cord, and the spine. Little white lines appeared on the screen as she took measurements and typed them into another document on a separate screen they couldn't see.

"Well, the baby is just a little over five inches along. The weight is about, oh, six ounces. Everything looks good," she said with a smile on her face.

Melina stared at her screen, unable to take her eyes off of the baby. A surreal feeling crept over as she watched the baby move, slowly bringing their thumb to their tiny little mouth which opened.

"Oh, my god," she breathed, hypnotized by the sight of the baby sucking their thumb. "It's unbelievable."

She felt as if she was watching a prerecorded image that belonged to someone else. This was someone else's pregnancy. Someone else's baby. This was not happening to her. Momentarily detached from her own physical existence, her head light as air and reeling, she was glad she was lying down. Shifting in discomfort, both physical and mental, she tried to rid herself of the odd, 'swimmy' feeling in her head. The sensation of the lightly padded table against her back and the crinkling sound of the paper cover reminded her that she was really here, and this was her present reality.

The nurse continued to push at the baby with the probe in an attempt to make them turn or open their legs so the gender could be determined. The legs remained curled and tightly closed no matter how much the nurse poked and prodded the fetus.

"Apparently he or she is a little bit shy and doesn't want to share their secret," the nurse said, continuing to take measurements on the screen.

"That's okay. I don't want to know yet," Melina murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

She glimpsed at Shoto whose gaze remained fixed on the screen. He appeared mesmerized by the image, neither frowning nor smiling while he studied the black and white picture.

"That's it for now. The doctor will be in soon to see you," the nurse proclaimed and left the room.

"Shoto, are you all right?" Melina asked when he continued to hover over her, staring blankly at the still image of the baby on the screen.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice low and soft.

Her eyes followed him as he walked to the chair and dropped down heavily. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands.

"It's a lot to take in...isn't it?" she stated rather crudely but capturing the shock of the moment perfectly.

"Uh huh," he responded without moving. "I didn't expect...I didn't expect these emotions."

"It's fine. Trust me. I understand your shock, your confusion...your fear," she stated as emotionlessly as possible, only betraying her feelings with a slight tremor in her voice.

"That about sums it up," he agreed.

"This is why I keep telling you that you need time. Time to think longer and harder about what is happening. To be blunt, you need time to grow up. You're too young for this much responsibility, and I won't allow you to take it upon yourself. That's why I won't marry you yet. It's just not fair," she said, turning her head away from him to stare at the ceiling above her. "I do love you. Please, don't doubt that. But love isn't enough, Shoto. Love doesn't conquer all. I loved your brother. He loved me. And look what happened to us."

A strange little smile stretched her lips. There was no joy in her grin; only rage, sorrow, and bitterness from the way the relationship between her and Dabi ended. Circumstances changed when she left the villains. She and Dabi both changed as people. Shit happened. Actions were taken that altered the course of their lives, forcing them apart even further. The adaptations they made to adjust to their lives apart and the transformations they made on a personal level took place so gradually they never knew it happened until it was too late. Hurtful words were said that cannot be taken back, and hearts were broken into a million pieces. The time came when so much damage had been done nothing could fix it.

She did not want that 'growing apart' to happen to her and Shoto. She wanted him to love her always, to never resent her for 'stealing' his youth and forcing him into an adult situation so soon. He had already been through many terrible times, taking on internal emotional baggage and outer responsibilities he should never had had to deal with. He had finally arrived at a good place in his life where he could enjoy family and friends - and just being a teenager. She would not take that away from him.

"A happily ever after is not guaranteed by simply getting married. As a matter of fact, you don't have to marry me at all," she said, the smile fading.

"Melina - "

"No. Hear me out. In two years, if you still want to get married, that's great. If not, well, that's okay too," she stated with an eerie tranquility. "If your feelings should change, don't think it is something you have to do because of a promise you made years before in the throes of being in love."

The phrase 'being in love' was spoken with a harsh, acidic tone, stronger than she had meant it to be said. She cleared her throat to rid herself of the remaining venom clogging her throat.

"You will be a part of this baby's life no matter what. We will eventually figure out exactly what that role will be. For now, you need to be a teenager, a hero in training, an uncle, and my friend. Those are the things I need you to be right now."

Shoto did not say a word. The seconds extended into minutes. The beating of her heart in her ears drowned out the sound of the loudly ticking wall clock in the room.

"Okay. I can do that," he assured her, glimpsing at her. "Are we okay?"

"Of course. Everything is fine."

Melina still could not look at him. It would hurt too much at the moment. She sniffed in an effort to withhold her tears. Things between them had to be this way right now. She was glad he finally understood that. Sticking to her convictions was difficult because she wanted to give into the silly, romantic notion of following her heart ascribed to by so many. Her heart was foolish and selfish and led her into trouble. Love must be tempered by wisdom to stand the test of time. Being an adult sucks.

~\\../~

* * *

_  
Melina studied the directory of the three story mall. She searched for maternity and baby stores, choosing which ones she wanted to browse. After deciding a plan of attack, she met Shoto at the fountain where he waited for her.

"Did you find where you wanted to go?" he asked her.

"Yep. Let's go," she said, leading him in the direction of the first shop on her list.

"Are we okay?" he inquired for the dozenth time it seemed.

"Everything is fine. We're fine," she answered the same exact way for as many times as he had asked.

"I'm smart enough to know when a woman says _fine_ , it means anything but _fine_."

"You're wise beyond your years, Shoto Todoroki. However, I am not going to be angry, and we are not going to argue. I want to salvage the rest of this day. Let's have a good day together, okay?"

"God, you terrify me. And people think I can be cold," he murmured.

"Let's just say I've been through some shit, and I have finally found happiness. I'll do whatever it takes to hang on to that happiness. Although it doesn't seem like it, I want you to be a part that. One day, I hope you'll understand."

Melina turned to her left abruptly to walk into the store. She thumbed through the shirts on the nearest rack while he stood on the other side as if putting the clothing fixture between them as a protective barrier. Pulling out a white shirt approximately the size of a small tent and decorated with large red, blue, and yellow polka dots, she held it up to her body.

"What do you think about this?" she asked, swinging back and forth as if modeling it for him.

"If you want to look like an escaped clown from the circus, it's great," he answered frankly.

"All of these shirts are terrible. I think we should go to a different store."

After searching through four more stores, Melina finally settled on several basic pieces that could be mixed and matched in easily combined colors of black, gray, white, and beige. She could use some of her own items like jackets, sweaters, scarves, and jewelry to create different looks. She splurged on a few cute tops, a maternity swimsuit, and a couple of dresses from a fifth store.

"Want to check out this baby store?" Shoto inquired as they passed by one named _My Baby and Me_.

"Might as well," she sighed, going inside.

The place was massive, separated into sections set up in entire nursery scenes displaying different matching furniture groupings and entire decorating themes that centered around everything from a specific color to beloved children's book characters.

"We could be in here for days," she murmured, because the store was approximately the size of a gigantic warehouse.

"Guess we better get to shopping, huh?" Shoto suggested.

He would have held her hand, but his hands were full of shopping bags. Instead, he was relegated to ambling behind her, weighed down with the previous purchases while she examined every single item in a group that garnered her interest.

"What about this one?" she asked, stepping into the middle of a nursery decorated with the characters from the Beatrix Potter story Peter Rabbit using the same muted watercolor scheme of the illustrations presented in the traditional book.

"I like it," he responded with cool indifference.

Melina picked up a six inch tall Peter Rabbit stuffed animal. She smiled at the extremely detailed toy, playing with the tiny gold buttons on his blue jacket.

"The baby is about this size, you know," she said, petting the soft fur of the bunny.

"Yeah. I know."

"I think I'm ready to go. We can shop for this stuff later," she said, her voice quivering with each word. She set the rabbit back down in the crib and plastered a smile on her face. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

"Sure."

"Hey! Hey, Icy-Hot!" bellowed a familiar voice as soon as they walked out of the store.

"Oh, shit," Shoto muttered, rolling his eyes.

Melina recognized the unmistakable voice as well and spun around in a circle in the middle of the flow of people. Her head whipped from side to side in search of Bakugo as she bounced up and down in an attempt to see over people's heads. She finally spotted his blond spikes through the crowd. Kirishima and Midoriya were also with him. Bobbing up and down on her toes, she eagerly waved at the trio.

"Hi, Miss Zusa!" Midoriya greeted her enthusiastically, running up to her.

Acting on her rush of joy, forgetting herself and her surroundings, she threw her arms around his neck giving him a crushing hug. Tears of joy ran from her eyes - and from his as well. Despite being red faced and embarrassed, Izuku hugged her back.

"We've missed you so much," Izuku said, wiping at the tears with the back of his scarred hands after she released him.

"You big baby. Here," Bakugo groused, handing him a handkerchief. "Damn, don't you have any pride at all?"

"But aren't you happy to see our favorite teacher? Kacchan, you were just saying the other day how much you mi- "

"Shut up, dork!" he shouted at Midoriya before he could complete the sentence.

"Hey, Teach," Kirishima said, giving her a wave.

Melina gave Kirishima a hug next. Although caught off guard and obviously embarrassed since his face now matched his hair, he smiled broadly. Neither he nor Midoriya seemed to mind her affectionate embrace.

"That is so inappropriate," Shoto chided her when she stepped toward Bakugo.

Melina wondered if it was inappropriate before or after she went to hug Bakugo. Shoto had not said a word when she embraced the other two. When Bakugo received a hug, he managed to keep the expression of annoyance firmly in place despite the tops of his cheeks under his eyes turning a lovely shade of pink, several shades darker than her pastel pink dress. Bakugo always looked annoyed, even on his best days. The boy had a way with resting bitch face.

"It is really good to see, Miss Zusa," Kirishima said.

"It's so good to see all of you!" she exclaimed. "What are you guys up to today?"

"Just enjoying our summer break and hanging out at the mall," Kirishima replied. "Doing what guys our age do."

Melina gave Shoto a withering glance. He appeared to be transfixed by the display in the window of the baby store which featured the same Peter Rabbit merchandise she was looking at earlier.

"I forgot something in the store. I'll be back in a minute," Shoto proclaimed, darting back through the open doors.

"How are you? And the baby?" Bakugo asked.

"Fine. I just came from the doctor's office as a matter fact. I got to see the baby for the first time in an ultrasound," she told them excitedly.

"That's awesome!" Midoriya exclaimed exuberantly, openly expressing his happiness for her.

Melina had forgotten what a sweet kid he is, so sincere and candid with his emotions. He was like a life sized stuffed animal; fluffy and soft emotionally. He also seemed to really like hugs. Shoto reappeared before she could give in to the urge to embrace Midoriya again.

"We're going to the water park tomorrow. You want to come along, Todoroki?" Bakugo asked Shoto, giving the distinct impression he didn't give a damn if he came along or not.

"Well, I can't -"

Melina's foot shot out to the side, kicking Shoto in the ankle because she knew he was about to refuse the offer.

"I can't wait," he ground out between his clenched teeth, sounding less than thrilled but his three friends didn't seem to notice.

"Great! We'll see you about one at the water park!" Midoriya exclaimed, obviously thrilled that Shoto was coming.

"We won't hold you up any longer," Kirishima told them, raising his hand in a farewell wave.

"We do need to go. Melina needs to eat something," Shoto said, reminding her of their original destination.

"It was so great seeing you guys," Melina called after them.

"Take care of her, Icy-Hot," Bakugo ordered his classmate and friend before pivoted on his heel to walk away.

"You know I will," he returned.

Weariness washed over Melina, most likely due to the roller coaster ride her emotions had taken today. The good and not so good had worn her out equally.

"Hey, can we just go home? I'm exhausted," Melina inquired. "I'm sure Hana has something in the refrigerator we can throw together."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll go get Hibiki."

"I need to stop by the restroom. I'll meet you out front."

Melina went to the nearest restroom which was in the hallway between a women's lingerie shop and a maternity store. After completing her necessary business, she stood at the sink washing her hands. Hearing movement behind her did not rouse her suspicions. She was in a public restroom after all, women come and go constantly.

Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she saw a person standing behind her wearing a light blue hoodie drawn up over their face until only their nose and mouth were visible. Her eyes centered on the person's mouth. The lips were chapped, peeling, and split with a a particularly long crack on the left side that bisected both the top and bottom lips.

Her eyes went wide with recognition. The repulsively chapped lips spread into a grin so broad she expected to see another bloody split forming before her very eyes.

"It's been a while, Melina," Shigaraki said.

Or rather the person pretending to be Shigaraki. Himiko had a certain unmistakable energy, her own specific set of personal vibes, that set her apart from everyone else. Malevolence mixed with an unusual dose of mischief. She was like an evil pixie, cute and impish with the ability and willingness to kill.

"You always give yourself away, Himiko," she said, her voice staying even and not revealing her fear and fury. "Shigaraki never called me by my name. At least not to my face. What do you want?"

She splashed the cold water on her face to calm herself, feigning disinterest in the unwelcome presence behind her. Snatching a paper towel from the dispenser, she carefully patted her face. By the time she looked back at Himiko, the mask of Shigaraki had melted away leaving gobs of gray goo on the floor.

"I need something from you," Himiko announced, raising a syringe.

The harsh glare of the florescent lights above them glinted off of the sharp needle.

"I don't think so," Melina refused serenely. "I'm not interested in donating blood today."

"I'm not asking, bitch," the woman snarled, her lip peeling back from her incisors.

When Himiko stepped toward her, Melina whirled around on the ball of her left foot, swinging her right leg up to deliver a roundhouse kick to her adversary's gut. Himiko grunted and doubled over but would not be deterred for long.

"I need your blood!" the blonde shrieked, charging at her again with the needle raised.

Melina dodged to her left. Himiko stumbled forward, leaning over. Melina took advantage of the woman's stooped position which brought her head so close to the thick edge of the porcelain sink. She smacked the back of Himiko's head slamming her forehead into the side of the sink.

This was too easy. Her opponent fought half heartedly, distracted in her pathetic desperation. This was not like Himiko. Blood oozed from the cut in the middle of her forehead, trickling down the length of her nose.

"I don't even have a quirk anymore. It required my bees anyway so I'm useless to you. Why is my blood so damn important to you?" Melina demanded, backing toward the door.

"Because I use your blood to transform into you and fuck your boyfriend," Himiko giggled.

"Don't you mean my ex-boyfriend?" she corrected her.

Melina would not allow her attention to be diverted by Himiko's little revelation of hers and Dabi's new relationship status. Actually, she felt a little bit relieved. Maybe he would stop talking her now that he had Himiko to offer him a sexual diversion.

She glared evenly at her adversary, keeping her eyes on that damn scary needle. With her fists raised, ready to lash out if necessary, Melina continued to back away slowly toward the door.

Until she could escape, she could not afford to get upset and lose focus on kicking Himiko's ass. She would not allow this woman to harm her or her child. She would not give into the ire and jealousy attempting to worm its way into her heart and mind. Dabi was no longer her boyfriend. Why did she care who he fucked?

"Do what you want with him. I don't give a damn. But you're not going to do it as me," Melina said, turning on her toes and walking right out of the bathroom into the heavy tide of mall foot traffic.

Walking fast, putting as much distance she could as fast as she could between them, she dared Himiko to follow her. She was taking a bold chance, counting on the fact that the villains chose to operate on the fringes of society, choosing to remain hidden as much as possible. As she neared the front door, her steps quickened until she almost broke into a dead for freedom and safety.

"What happened? Are you all right?" Shoto asked her when she ran toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

Melina could feel her body shaking as he held her.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he remarked, assisting her with getting into the back of the car.

"I did. Two of them," she answered, reaching into the refrigerator in the back of the limo for a bottle of water.

"What are you talking about?"

Melina relayed the brief but harrowing incident to Shoto.

"Are you sure we don't need to go back to the doctor's office and get you checked out?" he asked her, pressing his palm to her belly. "I'm going to kill that bitch if I ever get my hands on her."

"She didn't touch me. Her mind was scattered. Her moves sloppy. She was too frantic to think straight and focus her attack. It was almost sad really. She's always been so collected and calculating."

"That's the same thing Midoriya said about her. When he fought her, he said she remained completely calm and focused when fighting. Toying with him like a cat does with a mouse. Even flirting with him."

"What?"

"Last year we had a training camp. The League of Villains attacked us. They kidnapped Bakugo. They...they tried to kill us. Dabi almost killed Mr. Aizawa."

That bit of knowledge left her thunderstruck. Although she knew what Dabi was capable of as a villain, she had never witnessed it herself. Then to hear he tried to murder Aizawa, a man she had come to respect as a fellow teacher and a friend, shocked her and disappointed her far more than Himiko's purposeful information leak about her having sex with Dabi.

Melina leaned forward to retrieve two waters from the refrigerator; another one for herself and the other for Shoto. Neither one of the spoke for the remainder of the ride home. When the car pulled into the crescent shaped driveway, they saw the ostentatious red Jeep sitting there.

"Who the hell does that belong to?" Shoto muttered, casting a puzzled glimpse at her.

"Your father," she answered as if he should know.

"He doesn't own a car."

"Apparently he does now."

"He had a driver to take him everywhere."

"I guess he had to start driving when Hibiki became my driver."

"He could have hired another one. I didn't even know my father had a driver's license," Shoto grumbled irritably.

"Huh," she murmured. "That would explain a lot about his driving skills."

After the car stopped, she opened the door and jumped out, making a break for the steps to the house without waiting for Shoto.

"What about the shopping bags?" Shoto yelled after her as she hurried up the stairs to the front door.

"You two get them," she shouted back, opening the door.

"I'll get the bags, sir," Hibiki assured him. "Go on inside after the young Miss."

Shoto gladly accepted his offer, hearing her calling for Enji when he entered the house. But what she was calling his father bumfuzzled him.

"Dad! Dad, where are you?" she cried out as she walked down the hall toward her room.

"I'm in here!" Enji Todoroki answered back without hesitation.

"What the hell?" Shoto muttered under his breath. "Have I fallen into some weird and scary alternate universe? What the hell happened around here while I was gone?"

Her jubilant shriek reverberated through the quiet house prompting Shoto to rush to her. He found her standing in the center of the room on the other side of her sitting room. The immovable Shoji screens separating the rooms had been taken down and converted to sliding screens to connect it to her suite.

Enji Todoroki sat in the floor with pieces of white painted wood and screws and other hardware spread all around him. A screwdriver in hand, he had successfully put together two sides of the crib so far.

"Who is this man?" Shoto whispered to her. "And what has he done with my father? This is some invasion of the body snatchers shit."

"Quite a few things have changed...for the better," she said, smiling at him as if she knew a special secret she would never tell him.

In the past, his father would have hired someone to put the crib together. Presently, there he sat, doing the job himself. Actually, the Enji Todoroki of the past would never have bought the crib in the first place. When she came to him to announce her pregnancy, he would have given Melina a big check and a one way plane ticket back to her home in North Carolina in the United States.

Shoto wondered if his father had put together the other pieces of furniture in the room: a matching chest of drawers and changing table. There was also a white stand alone wardrobe since there was no closet in the room.

"This was supposed to be a surprise," Enji muttered in obvious annoyance.

"Oh, trust me, it is a surprise!" Melina exclaimed happily, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands like an excited child.

Hibiki knew exactly where to bring the bags so apparently he was in on the surprise, probably from the beginning, which would explain his hesitance and almost horror when Shoto told him they were leaving the mall.

"We're going to have a family dinner tomorrow tonight," Enji informed them in his typical brusque manner. " _All_ of the family."

"Oh! I finally get to meet them!" she cried out happily.

"You're far too excited about this," Shoto said, giving her a sidelong glance.

"Why shouldn't I be? I've been wanting to meet them since I moved in almost two months ago."

"Has it been that long already?" Enji inquired, picking up the large single sheet of directions to study them.

"Yes! How are the sessions with Rei going?" Melina asked sitting down on the floor beside him.

"They're going really well now that we've gotten over the initial hurdle of being reintroduced to each other and offsetting that, I'll just say, awkwardness. The doctor said we could begin our actual marriage counseling soon," he answered candidly, handing the instruction sheet to her to hold up for him.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry. I think I'm losing my mind. What the hell did you just say?" Shoto asked, not believing his ears.

Melina and his father both stared up at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

"You really have missed a lot, son. Why don't you sit down, and I'll fill you in?" Enji suggested.

"Here," Melina said, handing Shoto the massive page of directions. "Take this and you two have a nice chat. I'll go prepare lunch for all of us. I'm starving!"

"Melina!" Shoto yelled after her.

She made her exit swiftly. An opportunity for Enji and Shoto to have a long overdue heart to heart talk had come, and she wasn't about to let it pass by - or get in the way.

She relished the idea of having a moment to herself. Thankfully Hana had taken the afternoon off which meant she would be completely alone in the peace and quiet of the kitchen. Finally. Leaning against the butcher's block, she took several cleansing breaths to relax.

Opening the refrigerator, she searched for something to throw together for a quick but healthy lunch. Sandwiches, pickled vegetables, and fruit would fit the bill perfectly.

Melina took her time preparing the food, stalling for time as much as possible despite all of them being hungry. Their father/son discussion was more important than food. Finding boiled eggs in the refrigerator, she made little bunnies out of them. She hoped Hana did not have plans for those. She took the time to carve some of the uncut fruits and vegetables into animals for garnishes.

When she was done, she ate alone in the kitchen. Feeling drowsy once her belly was full, she left a note on the table for them that their already plated food would be in the refrigerator and that she was retiring to a guest room for a nap.

~\\../~

* * *

When she awakened from her nap it was late, close to sunset. Tiptoeing through the shadowy hallway, she made her way to her rooms. At the end of the hall, she could hear Shoto and Enji still talking, although she could not make out the words.

Shoto laughed, a soft, low sound followed by Enji's much louder uproarious chuckle. A jubilant smile nearly split her face in half. They seemed to be getting along well which made her happy. She hoped they had taken a break for lunch.

Assuming they were still putting together the bed, she turned around, deciding to go to the pool to watch the sunset. Perhaps she would do a few yoga moves. She could recall a few basic poses but would need to find her book later which was somewhere on the shelf in her sitting room.

Melina began with the Mountain Pose, her feet placed flat on the cement, her legs shoulder width apart. She concentrated on finding her center of balance while focusing on her breathing. In through her nose, out through her mouth. This would be helpful for practicing the controlled breathing exercises for labor. When performing the poses, she kept her movements easy and slow, working her way through several gentle, stretching positions.

Eventually, she made her way to the downward facing dog, hands and feet on the ground, butt in the air. She was glad she was alone, otherwise this pose would be humiliating and leave her in a vulnerable position for a smack on the behind. After gradually unfolding her body to stand up straight, dizziness washed over making her sway a little. She cautiously toddled over to one of the poolside wooden slatted loungers to take a seat.

Looking toward the horizon, she saw the red ball of the setting sun. Sunsets had always been her favorite time of the day. Seeing the summer sky painted in lovely pastel shades like gentle swipes of watercolors brushed across a dark blue canvas, she recalled she really had liked the Peter Rabbit themed nursery items.

The row of tall bushes forming a living wall around the far side of the pool rustled and shivered. Her heartbeat immediately sped up. Her gaze shifted from the sunset to the hedges that quit shaking. After staring at them for a few minutes, waiting for another movement or sound, nothing happened.

"Probably a rabbit or something," she muttered to herself, returning her eyes to the sunset whose colors had become deeper tinging the clouds pink.

The bushes shimmied again, this time the louder, but she ignored them. The crack of branches could be heard alerting her to the possibility that something might be trying to break through. It sounded bigger than a rabbit. Much bigger.

Melina slowly stood to her feet, searching the area for a possible weapon. She spotted the ten inch wide ribbon of river rocks outlining the outer edge of the cement apron around the entire pool area. As the bushes continued to shake, she seized several of the bigger rocks, all about the size of a golf ball or a little larger. She lobbed them across the pool and into the bushes one by one, aiming blindly for whatever was in there.

"Ow!" a man exclaimed and the bushes instantly ceased moving once more.

"Hey! Who are you?" she shouted. When no answer came, she yelled, "You shouldn't be here! This is private property! Get out of there! Go away! Just get lost!"

Melina held up her hand loaded with another rock, ready to let it fly when the bushes separated. A man stepped through onto the cement. Dabi stood across the pool from her, staring at her. Just standing there, staring, after emerging from his hiding place as if he had arrived from another dimension through a portal in the bushes. He massaged his upper arm where one of her improvised weapons had hit it's mark.

"That hurt like hell," he grumbled. "You've still got one hell of a throwing arm."

"Dabi," Melina gulped, desperately trying to reign in her heart galloping away from her. "Like I said, you shouldn't be here. Leave."

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" he retorted, looking her up and down critically.

"No, you shouldn't," Enji Todoroki stated flatly from somewhere behind her.

Melina swung around to see him walking down the pathway toward them. Flames exuded from his face, but he kept the fire pulled in on the rest of his body to keep from burning his clothes.

"She has more of a right to be here than you do. She has my permission. You do not," he announced, coming to stand beside her. He took her by the wrist, pushing her toward the path. "I'm glad I came out to check on you. Go back to the house. I want to talk to my son. Alone."

"But - " she attempted to argue.

"Think about the baby," he implored her. "It's not good for the baby if you get too upset."

"You're right," she agreed, turning away from Dabi.

Melina stepped off of the cement and onto the path leading to the house. She did not want talk to him or argue with him anyway. There was nothing left to be said by either of them. She was done.

"Hello, _Dad_ ," Dabi said, managing to make the word sound sarcastic.

"What are you doing here, son?" Enji inquired, his voice quivering with the restraint it took for him to not yell at man across the pool.

"Don't call me that, you bastard," he sneered caustically. "I came to check on, Melina. To make sure she's okay."

"She's fine. Shoto and I are taking care of her."

"I bet Shoto is taking _really_ good care of her."

Enji refused to address that remark. He trusted Melina and Shoto to conduct their relationship as they saw fit. What those two did, or did not do, was none of his, and especially not Toya's, concern.

"She's put this baby above everything and will do anything to keep her child safe. You should do the same. Keep your damn girlfriend away from her. You should stay away as well. Grant her peace. Can't you give her that one small courtesy?"

"It's my baby too. Himiko is NOT my girlfriend," Dabi vehemently insisted.

"I don't give a damn what she is to you! Keep her the fuck away from the mother my first grandchild!" he barked viciously, his flames bursting forth then receding back to their original state. "You might have gotten Melina pregnant, but any man can be a sperm donor. That baby is no longer yours. You forfeited the child when you gave up your relationship. Leave that girl alone. She doesn't need you or want you because you broke her heart."

"What do you know about broken hearts except how to give them?" Dabi growled, a blue flame forming in his palm. "You've never had one yourself, but you have destroyed many people's emotions and lives, especially those of your children, so you know that much about them at least."

Enji was not going to apologize to him. It would not be accepted anyway. An apology, no matter how sincere, would be met with anger and hateful words. Rightfully so. He saw no reason to seek forgiveness in a place where he would never find it.

"Ten years ago you left here of your own volition," Enji said.

"I walked away from the hospital after you put me there!" his son bellowed in return, unable to hold back the storm of rage any longer.

A pain formed in Enji's chest in the vicinity of his heart. He ignored the ache and continued speaking.

"I know it's my fault you gave up your family, your life, and even your name. Nothing here belongs to you. Including Melina and the baby. You had a second chance at a family and walked away from her and your child as well. You forfeited a very special chance. A second chance to have _your_ _own_ family. You have willingly given up your family twice, boy. That's unforgivable. And stupid. I won't forgive you for that."

"Forgive me? Forgive me!" he shouted. The flame in Dabi's hand shot upwards nearly touching his face.

"Go ahead, son. If it will may you feel better, fight me. But I swear it won't end well for you," he warned the enraged man.

"I'm stronger than you. I will kill you, old man," he threatened in return.

"That may be true," Enji agreed but only partly. "Believe me when I say this, you may kill me, but you will die first."

"So you'll die protecting _that_ _woman_?" Dabi asked, spitting out the last two words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth.

"I'll die protecting this entire family, including that woman," he rejoined pointedly.

"You sure have changed," his son scoffed. "If only you could have been a father like this when I was a kid."

"I wish I had a been a father like this too. Things would be incredibly different now."

"Yeah, a lot of things of would be different. But they aren't. They are what they are... and I fucking hate you," Dabi hissed, carefully enunciating the last phrase.

"It's not too late to try to make amends with the rest of your family. Your mother and your siblings," Enji said when his son turned to go.

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed derisively. "Mother wouldn't even know me. I don't want to make her condition worse either. If she did recognize me, she would hate me. I doubt Shoto would want a reconciliation after falling for Melina. Not to mention, I've already been declared his enemy because I'm a villain and he's a hero. As far as Fuyumi and Natusuo goes...I seriously doubt it. There's no hope now. Too much damage has been done."

Silence stretched between them much wider than the distance between them across the pool and ten times deeper than the ocean. There was nothing left to say.

"You should leave, son," Enji told him in a stunningly fatherly tone.

"I am not your son," Dabi seethed, pushing the words through his clenched teeth.

"You should really go see your mother. You're the final piece of the puzzle that she needs. You need to forgive her. And she needs to forgive you in order to heal," he added. "You ripped out her heart and stomped on it when you left the way you did."

"I already said no. That's really hypocritical coming from you. Not only did you destroy her heart, you tried to destroy her body. You tore us all apart! Why do you think I left, you stupid asshole?!" Dabi bellowed furiously.

Dabi turned back around to face his father, adopting a fighting stance. Enji simply placed his hands on his hips, sighing loudly. He needed to diffuse this situation because a battle between the two of them would get ugly and violent. It already was with the mean words laced with hate being tossed around. Regardless of whether it would be accepted or shunned, Enji knew he had to at least offer an apology at this time.

"I know what I did. I'm sorry for that. I wish I could change everything. I've wished a thousand times I could change the past but there's no going back."

"No shit!"

"I'm sorry for what I did to you," Enji said, holding his open palms out in front of him in a gesture of surrender. "I am so very sorry, Toya."

"That's not my name!" Dabi hollered back. "Stop it! Just stop it! You don't mean a damn word of it anyway."

Dabi swayed back and forth uncertainly, possibly debating if he should attack or just leave. At last, he scrubbed his hands over his face in exasperation.

"I'm leaving. I'll never come back," he announced, turning to make his escape through the bushes.

"Dammit," Enji muttered under his breath, hanging his head sadly.

"Are you okay?" Melina asked, appearing from behind the nearby trellis covered in vines and pink flowers.

"You really are a hard headed pain in the ass," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Sometimes you should do what your told for your own good."

"I'm sorry," Melina apologized. "I was worried what might happen."

"And if we had fought, you would have gotten hurt. Maybe killed. What then?"

"I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" he sighed in irritation.

"I don't know. I just feel like I needed to," she returned. "Let's go back to the house. Hana will have dinner ready soon."

"How can you be like this? How can you be so calm after the day you've had? After what just happened?" Enji asked her as they walked back to the house.

She shrugged.

"Because I have to be. For the baby's sake. Believe it or not, I've had worse days than this," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I can believe it," he returned solemnly. "Well, hopefully, you'll have many better days in the future."

"Yeah. I hope we all do. As a family."


	26. Chapter 26

Soft lips brushed her cheek. Cool, smooth fingers drifted down her bare arm. His gentle lips skimmed her forehead, her other cheek, her chin. Those silky fingers glided over her shoulder and along her collar bone.

"Melina," he whispered, his warm breath caressing her neck.

His low voice pleasantly stroked her nerves while his tender hands stroked her arms. Goosebumps sprang to the surface of every inch of her skin. He hovered over her, the warmth of his body penetrating the sheet and her nightgown, touching her body with the same intensity of his fingers skimming the length of her neck. He kissed her neck over the throbbing artery. Each beat of her heart was for him.

He whispered her name again, his lips grazing her earlobe. She inhaled sharply as a prickle of excitement raced down her spine. Her palms pressed to his chest, her fingers grasping the collar of his shirt to pull him closer. His enticing lips brushed hers teasingly. She moaned, shifting under his weight lightly pressing down on her.

"Are you trying to tempt me, Shoto Todoroki?" she asked him, tugging at his collar.

"Is it working?" He pressed a kiss under her earlobe.

"Yes," she responded breathlessly.

He placed another kiss to the hollow of her throat.

"You're a very bad boy..." Her voice trailed off into a moan when he kissed her collarbone. "In the best of ways."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed, his lips vibrating against her skin as they glided across to her shoulder. His teeth nipped at the silky flesh over her rounded shoulder thick with muscle.

"Mmmmm, Shoto," she moaned. Her eyes blinked open before his mouth moved any further downward. As much as she hated her next words, she had to say them. "You have to stop...before we go too far."

"I know." He sat up, his eyes connecting with hers. "You have to admit, it is a good way to wake up."

"It is," she sighed, pressing her palm to his cheek. "But -"

He pressed his mouth over hers to silence her. He knew the reasons why they needed to abstain. There was no reason to repeat them for the hundredth time.

"I have a present for you," he said, climbing off of her to sit on the side of the bed.

"Oh, a present!" she squealed happily, sitting up against her pillows.

Shoto held out a gift bag decorated in a watercolor garden scene. Melina rifled through the sheets of light and dark blue tissue paper. Her fingers contacted something squishy and fuzzy. She pulled out the six inch tall stuffed Peter Rabbit she had held at the baby store and remarked it was the same size as the baby. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision seconds before big fat tears rolled from the corners and down her cheeks.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" he asked, reaching for the stuffed animal. "I can return it."

"No," she sniffled, catching his hand before he could take away the toy. "No. I love it."

A small smile turned up the corners of his soft pink lips. He looked happy, content; and exceptionally pleased with himself. That little smile bordered on a smirk that hinted he held a secret.

Melina cuddled the plushy to her chest. The singular tears eventually turned into a steady stream down both of her cheeks. Her eyes met his when he leaned toward her. They closed in anticipation of his sweet kiss which he gave her, fitting his lips to hers and leaving them there for several seconds to revel in the intimate contact.

"I love you," she whispered, her eyes flickering back to his. "You know that right?"

"Of course I know that. Are you happy?"

"I am genuinely happy. Everything is great. It's just...it's been a long time since I've been this happy."

"Are you afraid? Wondering when it will all go to hell again?" he asked, cupping her cheek.

"Y-yeah," she confessed.

"Me too," he admitted, pulling her into his arms and against his chest for a comforting embrace.

They heard Hana shuffle into the next room with breakfast. Shoto continued to hold her as the woman laid out their food on the table with only the occasionally light clinking of metal utensils against porcelain. Locked in each others arms, they waited to hear the scrape of wood against wood signalling the woman had left the room before speaking again.

"Do you want me to stay here with you today?" Shoto questioned her once they were alone.

"Absolutely not," she answered immediately. "You need to go. Have fun. I've already told you this. If it's not important to you, it's important to me. I've told you why."

"I know," he returned, releasing her from his ardent embrace. "We should eat breakfast before it gets cold."

"What made you come into my room this morning? You haven't tried to sneak in for quite a while," she teased him as they walked into the sitting room.

"You slept late this morning. You did not get up for your pre-dawn walk and dawn yoga session. I was worried."

"Oh, I didn't realize it was so late."

It was only eight in the morning. However, that was late for her considering she was usually awake and roaming around by five or five thirty. She guessed all of the excitement that occurred yesterday wore her out more than she thought.

Melina found it much easier to lower herself onto the cushions on the floor this morning. She picked up the white teapot decorated with pink cherry blossoms; her favorite of the many teapots in which the tea was served. Pouring Shoto's cup first, afterwards she poured her own.

Breakfast was rice porridge, sliced apples, and dry toast. Apparently Hana had been informed she might be feeling a little more nauseated than usual this morning. Actually, for a change, she felt fine. No morning sickness at all. She glanced at Shoto. Her insides warmed with the love she held for him. He was so thoughtful and attentive.

"Do you want to take your walk after breakfast?" he asked her, willingly eating the same bland breakfast with no complaint.

"Would you like to join me?" she asked, glancing at him flirtatiously over the rim of her tea cup.

"Are you sure don't mind? I know that's part of your alone time."

Strolling with him, hand and hand, through the picturesque garden would be wonderful. She put down her tea cup, reaching across the table for his hand. Holding his hand with both of hers, she caressed the back with her thumbs as she gazed directly into beautiful eyes. Another one of the many things she loved about him; those soulful heterochromic eyes.

"I think I've spent enough time alone. You're a part of my heart now. I've fully let you in. I want to make as many special moments with you as possible," she said, speaking straight from her heart. Her lips quivered as she smiled, more tears of happiness filling her eyes to overflowing.

"And you have the nerve to wonder why I fell in love with you," he said in return, turning over his hand to grasp hers. "I love the way you love me."

"Hmmmm, I should have said that," she murmured, closing her fingers as far as she could around his hand. "It scares me the way I love you. If things were just a little bit different..."

"There's nothing we can do about that. I've already told you. I'm not going anywhere. You're mine. I'm yours. You're stuck with me."

As a fresh batch of tears began to fall, she laughed. She laughed because of the impossible journey through their pasts that led them here. She laughed to dispel the fear threatening to encroach upon their happy present. She laughed because an uncertain future lay ahead of them. Although she was crying, she also laughed.

"Everything is going to be great," Shoto assured her, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "Whatever comes our way, at least we will face it together."

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina stood on the porch, waving to Shoto as Enji tore out of the driveway sending up a puff of white dust behind the Jeep.

"Oh, Lord that man is a terrible driver," she muttered.

As she was about to turn and go back into the house, she saw someone walking up the flower lined path from the main house. The young man dressed in jeans and a light blue t-shirt had short, white, attractively messy hair - a little bit like Bakugo's. He was built tall and thick, broad chested and muscular. He carried a small box under one arm and held the handles of a huge shopping bag in the other.

The heat enveloped her like a hot, wet blanket. A nervous sweat beaded across her brow and over her top lip. When he came closer, she would swear she was looking at a young, white haired Enji Todoroki. There was no doubt about the identity of the young man ambling toward her.

"Hello," she called, waving to him as he neared the porch. She met him at the bottom step. "Want me take something?"

"No. I've got it," he assured her.

"Please come inside," she invited him. "It's good to meet you, Natsuo."

"Nice to meet you too," he politely responded. "I know we're getting together for dinner tonight, but I thought you might be looking for these. They were just delivered to the main house."

"Thank you for bringing them. I wasn't expecting anything. You can put them there," she instructed him, pointing at the table in foyer.

Melina glanced quizzically at the plain white bag and unlabeled box. She had no idea what could be inside or if the packages were for her. Peeking into the bag, she mystery was quickly solved. It was the Peter Rabbit nursery items. The box must contain the lamp.

So this is what Shoto was doing when he disappeared back inside the baby store. Apparently he ordered the entire set to have it delivered today as a surprise. She was definitely surprised. If she had not cried so much earlier, she would be crying again.

She glanced at the red faced Natsuo. He was not embarrassed; just incredibly hot after walking in the intense heat.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, please," he gratefully accepted. "Water would be great."

"Sit down, sit down," she encouraged him, leading him into the sitting room. It felt weird and kind of rude to invite him into a house he technically owned. She pulled the chain on the ceiling fan until it began spinning at full speed. "I'll be right back with your water."

Melina rushed to the kitchen, searching for the biggest glass possible to fill with ice and water. For good measure, she filled a pitcher to bring with her in case he needed a refill.

"Here you go," she said, handing him the glass and setting the pitcher on the table in front of him.

"Thank you," he rejoined, quickly drinking the entire glass.

Natsuo had grey eyes and soft voice like his mother.

"You could have sent these things with your father. He was just by here to pick up Shoto," she nervously jabbered.

"I know," he stated flatly. "I must confess I was curious about you. I wanted to meet you ahead of time. Have a little talk. Just the two of us."

"O-okay," she stuttered as anxiety tightened her belly making her feel nauseated. This feeling was definitely not pregnancy related.

"You're not what I expected," he blurted, looking her over critically from head to toe.

"What were you expecting?" she demanded, wanting to hear his answer before she decided if she should be angry.

"An American Barbie doll. Fake. Arrogant. Self-centered. A gold digger. I figured all you wanted was money," Natsuo said. "You're pretty. You seem nice. Possibly sincere."

Melina grunted as if she had been punched in the gut. Although speaking in a soft voice, his words were like stones hurled at her head, hitting their mark every time. Disappointingly, he had the unreserved and venomous tongue of his Father.

"Uh...thank you?" she muttered growing impatient with his froward forthrightness.

"Oh, I actually meant that as a compliment," he assured her, refiling his glass.

"Are you sure? It didn't sound like one to me," she countered, narrowing her eyes at him. "It sounded like you were implying I'm only pretending to be nice."

"You are feisty but manage your anger well. Anger management is something the old man has always had issues with, but I'm sure you already know that."

"I do know that. Controlling his mouth is a problem too. Seems to run in the family."

The veiled insult flew past him going completely unnoticed.

"So you're pregnant by my oldest brother," he stated rather matter of factly. "And surprise, surprise, he abandoned you. That's a lifelong habit of his...abandoning his family. Then you decided to sink your claws into my baby brother. Snatched that one right out of the cradle, didn't you?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Shame, shame."

Was he kidding right now? Despite this technically being his property, she was ready to kick him out because at the moment she was the master of this house. She was two seconds away from rescinding the dinner invitation as well.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she returned, her voice quivering as she struggled to remain in control of her emotions. She stood to her feet as a hint for him to leave.

"Then please, tell me. What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, refilling his glass.

Obviously he had no intention of leaving until he received the explanation he requested. She did not owe him a damn thing, but she could not help but contemplate what Enji might have told him or did not tell him.

"What did your Father tell you?" she asked, turning her back on him to walk across the room.

"Why are you so nervous?" he questioned her.

"Wouldn't you be? I'm being interrogated, aren't I?" she shot back, pretending to take an interest in the painting of water lilies hanging on the wall.

"I suppose so. Well, dear old dad, fine gentleman that he is, told us that he has taken another stray woman into the household," he began, leaning back on the couch.

Melina did not miss the caustic sarcasm in his voice in the adjectives spoken about his Father. She turned around to look at him. His angry grey eyes met hers.

"What did he tell you? Exactly."

"He said that you found our long, lost big brother. Got knocked up by him. Now isn't that something? Two surprises in one. At first I thought for sure the old bastard was lying, that he had gotten one of his mistresses pregnant, and she had something on him to blackmail him. But then the story gets better when I find out my baby brother wants to marry this mystery woman who is now living on my family's dime. What are you really after here?"

Melina took several deep breaths before answering. She held his furious, stubborn gaze as she began speaking.

"The first thing you should know is I don't want your fucking money. I have plenty of my own. In America, heroes pay well when they fuck up and kill innocent citizens. It's not about the money."

Natsuo's eyes widened in surprise before quickly returning to angry slits.

"Is it about love then?" he sneered.

"I love Shoto. I once loved Toya. It's about trying to salvage a family. It's about healing and forgiveness and...and l-love," she stammered, tripping on the word as her emotions rose almost beyond her control. "I understand why you hate your father. When I first met him I hated your Father's guts. I understand the hatred you have for him. I know what he did to Toya, to Shoto...to all of you. Including your mother," she added, pausing to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. "I sincerely loved Toya. I wanted to be with him. The pregnancy was an accident. He rejected me over and over, until I finally got it through my thick skull that he didn't want me."

"He didn't love you?" he asked.

"Love," she scoffed. "I didn't say he didn't love me. He's a villain. How could we ever be together? He loved me and his child enough to send us both away because he did not want to bring a baby into that world."

"So you turned your attention to my baby brother. Settled on the next best thing, huh?" Natsuo inquired acerbically, trying her patience more than he knew.

"Shoto is second best to no one. He was not my second choice. Hell, he was never a part of my plan. I planned to go back home to the U.S. and be a single mom. He changed my plan. He loves me. And I love him," she added, a determination in her eyes when they met Natsuo's. "I don't give a damn what you think about me. But I love Shoto. I won't leave him. Or this family."

Natsuo poured water into his empty glass. The slosh of water and clink of ice cubes were the only sounds in the silence while she paused again to piece back together her crumbling self-control.

"Why is my family so important to you?" he asked her before taking a drink.

"Because all of you are alive. You have a chance to make this work. To be a family. I will never be with my family again," she sniffed, pushing back the tears. "I must confess, I'm being selfish. I want to be a part of a family. I want my baby to have a family." She rubbed her hand over her belly. "I would be okay alone. But this child deserves a chance to know their family, their _real_ family."

Natsuo gulped loudly as he drained the glass of water. He stood up, quickly crossing the room with just a few strides with his long legs. Stopping right in front of her, he towered over her. He glared down at her without saying a word for an uncomfortably long time.

Melina refused to back down. She straightened her spine, standing to her full height of five foot four inches in comparison to his imposing height somewhere around six feet tall. She did not care about his height or even his width. She was not afraid or intimidated. He had stirred up her ire, greatly offending her with his assumptions and making her mad as hell. Making her angry was a huge mistake as his Father and both of his brothers learned the hard way.

"Hmph," he snorted, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "You're everything Shoto said you would be. I think I like you."

"What the hell?" she growled. "Was this some kind of test?"

"Of course it was," he admitted. "Would you expect anything less of a Todoroki than for us to push your buttons to determine your true intentions? I also wanted to see what kind of person you actually are for myself. I wasn't lying about that."

"You damn Todoroki men are killing me," she muttered, exhaling a long sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized sincerely. "I just needed to know what kind of woman you are to protect my little brother."

"You're pleased with the results then?"

"Hell, yeah. You're pretty tough. A little bit scary too with those eyes of yours. They can look straight through a person. No wonder my Father is straightening out his shit. I still don't trust that bastard though," he confessed.

"No surprise there," she sighed. "It's understandable. Really."

"Well, I better be going. See you at dinner."

As he was going to the door, she had one more question for him.

"Should I be worried about a test from your sister?"

"No. She's far more forgiving and accepting then I am. She loves Shoto to pieces so considering how happy you've made him, she'd be okay with you based solely on that. See you later," he said, turning and walking toward the foyer.

Melina followed him to the door.

"I wish I could say it was nice meeting you, but honestly, I can't," she admitted, opening the door for him.

"Yeah, I guess not," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "I really am sorry."

"Maybe the second impression will be better, hmm?"

Natsuo walked outside, turning back to look at her.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked.

"Depends...what is it?"

"Please don't tell Shoto or Fuyumi I did this. They would kill me for upsetting you," he said, his face twisted in an expression of pain as if anticipating the beating he would receive.

She pulled her fingers across her lips as if zipping a zipper, then the mimicked turning a key in a lock and proceeded to throw that invisible key over her shoulder.

"It will be our little secret," Melina promised, giving him a big smile.

"Thanks," he returned, giving her a wide, toothy grin. "I owe you one."

"Damn right you do," she rejoined with a laugh.

"Oh, so you are the blackmailing type?" he joked.

They both laughed. He lifted his hand and waved good-bye before retreating down the steps. Rather than watching him walk away, she closed the door and leaned against it, sliding down to the floor.

"Young Miss," Hana called, appearing in the hallway.

Melina pulled her weary behind up from the floor. That encounter had exhausted her.

"What is it, Hana?"

"There is some chamomile tea along with lemons and honey in the kitchen for you. You probably need something to refresh you and give you a little bit of energy," she said.

"How right you are, Hana. Thank you."

She glanced at the bag and box. After her tea, she would take care of those and finish setting up the nursery. She wanted to show the family the baby's room tonight. If only Rei could be here, then the family would be complete. Well, as complete as possible.

~\\..'../~

* * *

Melina rambled through the lower garden near the house choosing flowers for the bouquets she wanted to make to decorate the house before the arrival of her new family. She hoped her introduction to Fuyumi would be quite a bit less emotionally taxing than her meeting with Natsuo.

"Hello?" a woman called.

She glanced up from the crimson and white variegated rose she was examining. A young woman with white hair streaked with red strode toward her with a big grin on her face. Her Todoroki turquoise eyes sparkled with kindness and warmth behind the lenses of her red framed rectangular shaped glasses. Except for the color of her eyes, she looked just like her mother.

The Todoroki children were the most unique combinations of their parents. Fuyumi was like her Mother. Natsuo more like his Father. Shoto, well, the baby was a perfect blend of both - exactly like Enji wanted.

Then there was Toya, the oldest and the conspicuously absent Todoroki child and sibling - and father of her child. Melina pressed her hand to her belly as she stood to greet Fuyumi. She could not forget Toya. There would always be a reminder of him in her life.

"Hello, Fuyumi," she said, hugging the bouquet to her chest and extending her hand.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't wait until dinner," she apologized, shaking Melina's hand.

Obviously patience was a virtue not a single Todoroki possessed. She could not help but return the woman's friendly smile.

"Would you like some help?" Fuyumi asked.

"Just making some bouquets. Keeping busy you know. I'm so nervous," she confessed.

"Why are you nervous?"

"I want to make a good impression, but I'm afraid that will be difficult considering the circumstances...which are kinda weird," she added, shifting self-consciously from foot to foot.

"Well, we're not exactly the most normal family so weird is kinda our thing," Fuyumi said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Shoto has told me a lot about you. It's so nice to finally put a face to all the wonderful things I've heard."

Melina could feel her face warming as it flooded with color. Embarrassed to know he discussed her so much with his siblings, she also felt a rush of delight that he was enamored with her to the point where he had already told them all about her. Thank goodness their knowledge of her extended beyond Enji's opinions.

"I suppose we should go inside and get these flowers into vases and water," Melina suggested.

"We can also help Hana with the appetizers," Fuyumi said as they walked back to the house.

"If she will allow us to help," she chuckled, drawing a knowing giggle from Fuyumi.

"She is definitely a stubborn one."

When they entered the kitchen, Hana already had several vases sitting out for Melina to choose from. The woman always anticipated every need. She was truly amazing.

"Hana, can we - " Melina began only to be cut off.

"No, Miss. Once you arrange your bouquets, I will have tea ready to serve you in the living room," the woman informed her leaving no room for argument.

"Thank you, Hana," she replied.

"How about this one for the sunflowers?" Fuyumi suggested, picking up the plain but modern teak wood vase.

"And this one for the red spider lilies, I think." Melina picked up the tall, cylindrical glass vase that the bottom appeared to be melting over a round, purposely cracked, mirrored glass ball.

"That's beautiful," Fuyumi commented. "Did you pick it out?"

"I did. Your Father knows all of the best shops in the city." Melina carefully ran her fingers over the broken lines in the glass. "I like unusual, beautiful things. I particularly like the purposely flawed design of it."

"You see the beauty of imperfections. Maybe that's why you are able to see the beauty in the tragically scarred hearts of the men in this family and look past their bullshit."

Melina experienced a rush of heat from her head to her toes. She felt like Fuyumi was giving her far more credit than she deserved which flustered her. Accustomed to dealing with mouthy, insulting men, she was not sure how to react to the civil conversation and gracious compliments.

"Well, some make it far easier than others to like them," she said, desperately trying to offset her unease.

"Like Shoto?" the woman probably her same age ventured while pouring water into the vases.

All of the siblings were incredibly protective of their youngest brother. Even Toya, as offensive as he had been at the time, had in his own bizarre way put Shoto's best interests ahead of his own.

"Are you really going to marry him someday?" she continued when Melina remained silent. "Do you sincerely love him?"

"Yes...to both of your questions," she answered, cutting an inch off of the ends of the spider lilies before putting them in the vase.

"What are you hoping to accomplish here?"

Melina looked up from the sunflowers she was trimming to fit into the shorter wooden vase. Her eyes met Fuyumi's to convey her sincerity.

"I want the same thing you want. I want to see this family healed and whole again."

"That's it?"

"That's it. About the only ulterior or selfish motive I have is to have a family again for myself. I haven't had a family for a very long time."

"Yeah. Shoto told me what happened. I'm sorry."

Instead of feeling embarrassed or even angry that Shoto had shared those details, Melina sighed in acceptance.

"You haven't had a family in a very long time either," Melina said, focusing on the sunflowers to avoid feeling awkward. "So I suppose we have a common goal in mind." She stopped fussing with the flowers, extending her hand across the table to Fuyumi. "So friends? To work together toward that common goal."

"No," Fuyumi returned coldly, walking around the table to stand face to face with her.

She flung her arms around Melina's neck causing her to inhale sharply in surprise. At first she was not sure if the woman meant to throttle her or simply embrace her due to the intensity of the hug.

"I'll call you my sister," the woman said. "I'm so happy to finally have another woman, an ally, in this godforsaken testosterone zone."

Melina giggled. An unusual reaction to the strange situation, but it was the only thing she could do, once again, to keep herself from crying.

"I'm home," Shoto announced, walking into the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Fuyumi. I didn't expect to see you here this early."

When he saw the two teary eyed women, hugging and generally acting bizarre, he stared at them quizzically.

"What's. Going. On?" he inquired taking extended pauses between each word.

The two women broke apart with a self-conscious chuckle, swiping at the unshed tears brimming in their eyes.

"Just a little female bonding. That's all," his sister assured him.

"Okay. Melina?" He turned toward her as if expecting a different answer. Or at least a more detailed explanation.

"How did it go at the water park?" she questioned him instead.

"Fine," he replied vaguely.

"Did you have fun?" she pried further.

"Yes," he answered succinctly.

"Well?" she pressed.

"Well, what?" Shoto countered.

Fuyumi's head swung back and forth as if she were watching a tennis match while the two conversed.

"Did any girls hit on you, baby brother?" Fuyumi interjected.

"N-no," he stuttered, his cheeks reddening from the blunt question.

"No? Or not that you noticed?" his sister teased.

"Sis..." he murmured, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously. "Does it matter?"

"No, not really," she returned, punching him in the shoulder.

His eyes met Melina's, squinting slightly, as if to say 'now do you see why I hate it when you do that?'. He never has liked it when she treats him like a best friend or, more to the point, like a little brother.

"Young Master, I added a cup for you," Hana informed them as she passed by with the tea tray.

"Shall we?" Melina inquired, indicating for them to follow the woman who obviously wanted them out of her kitchen.

"So when is the baby due?" Fuyumi asked, on the way down the hall.

"In December. I'm hoping the baby waits until Christmas," she returned, unaware of the fact she massaged her barely rounded belly.

"Oh, wouldn't that be the most perfect Christmas present?!" her future sister-in-law exclaimed excitedly.

"Exactly!" she agreed enthusiastically, entering the living room. "Hana, this is fantastic! Thank you!"

"Please enjoy everyone." And with those polite words, the small but mighty woman who bent people with her gentle will was gone to return to her blissfully empty kitchen.

Hana cobbled together an English tea for them. A fancy triple tiered rack held plates of finger sandwiches, pink and white petit fours, and scones with little pots of lemon curd and clotted cream. There were two tea pots, one containing a strawberry tea and the other a green tea as indicated by the little tented pieces of paper in front of them.

There were three different cups, each one chosen for their specific recipient. For Melina, a white china English teacup with pink and red roses on it with a gold painted rim sitting atop a matching saucer. A delicate pink porcelain teacup with curved edges that resembled a tulip for Fuyumi. For Shoto, a traditional Japanese teacup, poppies etched into the white ceramic and painted red.

"Oh, these are lovely," Melina gushed, carefully examining each one.

"Apparently, Hana wanted us out of the kitchen for the rest of the day. She has really outdone herself," commented Fuyumi, pouring them all a cup full of the strawberry tea.

"I can't wait until dinner," Shoto said, picking up one of the sandwiches. "I'm starving."

"You had fun today, huh?" Melina inquired, sitting on the cushion on the floor and curling her legs under her to the side since she was wearing her yellow sundress.

"I did. Thank you for making me go," he said, taking another sandwich that looked like ham salad. "Eat one of the watercress and cucumber. You'll like it."

Shoto picked up the sandwich he suggested and pushed it into her open mouth.

"Making him go?" Fuyumi interjected, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Mr. Recluse there wanted to stay home. I'm forcing him to get out and get a life," she joked, making light of the situation so Fuyumi would not assume she was controlling and bossy.

"Oh, you really are good for him. I'm glad. Shoto, you need a life beyond school and being a hero," his sister lovingly admonished him.

"Yeah. Don't get fixated on the hero thing like our Father," Natsuo added, entering into the room from the hallway leading to the kitchen.

"Where did you come from?" Fuyumi demanded.

"I tried to sneak in through the kitchen. Hana sent me on my way." He held up his sky blue traditional teacup with a darker blue line painted around the rim. "With this."

"Wow...she's serious about tonight's dinner," Shoto mumbled around his mouthful of food.

"It is a pretty big deal," he agreed, sitting down on the floor beside his sister and across from his brother.

"I guess we're getting started early on the family thing," Melina remarked, cutting open one of the biscuit like scones to spread on the lemon curd and cream. Instead of eating it, she handed it to the hungry Shoto. "Try this. It's savory and sweet."

Shoto crammed the whole thing in his mouth. "It's good. Will you fix me another one, please?"

"Sure."

The two people across from them froze with their cups half way to their mouths to watch their little brother and the woman they just met. They already acted like an old married couple.

"That's weird," muttered Natsuo.

"But cute," added Fuyumi.

The conversation turned to their daily lives. Natsuo's girlfriend and his upcoming classes at university next semester. How Fuyumi needed to complete her fall lesson plan during the last couple of weeks of summer break. Shoto's plans for the rest of summer break which included further outings with his friends.

Melina was happy. She stayed quiet, listening to the pleasant and benign conversation between the siblings. They were catching up on each other's lives, getting reacquainted with each other. She sipped her tea and nibbled petit fours.

As she listened to their discussion about getting together for Christmas and their hopes for the new year, it was then she realized she had no plan for her future beyond bringing the baby safely into this world and years down the road becoming Mrs. Shoto Todoroki. What would she do with herself in the interim? What were her aspirations and dreams for her life? She didn't know. The need to survive had pushed aside the will to dream.

"Melina? Are you all right?" Fuyumi asked, her white eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking...giving you all a chance to catch up. Don't mind me," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Heavy footsteps pounded on the wooden stairs outside. Seconds later, the front door opened. Enji Todoroki stood in the arched doorway to the living room staring at his children who gaped at him. He placed his fists on his jean clad hips unintentionally striking a hero pose.

"What the hell is this? Did you kids start the party without me?" he inquired in an accusatory tone.

Natsuo made a sound like a growl, preparing to stand up. Fuyumi slammed her hand down on his shoulder, squeezing as a warning for him to stay put.

"Well, actually this works out great. I have a surprise for all of you," Enji announced, turning to look toward the door. "Come on in, honey. They're all here."

 _Honey?_ Who the hell was he talking to?

Melina's heart raced as they waited for the unknown person to appear. Those few seconds felt like several minutes due to the nervous anticipation.

Rei Todoroki stepped into view, anxiously pushing a lock of her perfectly coiffed, freshly cut and styled shoulder length bob behind her ear. She was wearing a below the knee, light gray skirt with a baby blue silk tank top and light summer weight white sweater over that. She was wearing make up, her lips painted a light pink spreading into a smile as she looked at each one of her children in turn. She was gorgeous.

"Mom," Fuyumi gasped, hopping to her feet.

"Hello, sweetheart," she said, opening her arms to hug her daughter. "It's so good to see you."

"Oh, my god, this is the best surprise," she sniffled, holding onto her mother. "But how - "

"The doctors agreed it would be a good idea for her to come see you all away from the hospital. It's only for a few hours but..." Enji stepped aside for Natsuo to put his arms around both his sister and his mother. "But it's still a few hours to be a family. A good beginning."

Melina backed away from them to allow Shoto to moved closer. Unaware of the tears that flowed steadily down her cheeks, she watched as he tentatively moved toward his mother on shaky legs.

His siblings moved out of the way so he could greet her. For a moment, they stood in front of each, staring. Tears trickled down both of their cheeks. Rei reached out, pressing her palm to Shoto's scarred cheek. Her thumb moved over the mark she gave him so many years ago.

"My baby, my baby," she whispered, "I'm so - "

"Don't!" he exclaimed, rushing into her arms. "Don't apologize. We've been over this. I'm so happy to see you, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, baby," she murmured, holding him tightly.

Melina pressed her hand to her mouth to hold back the sob which devolved into a little whimper. She picked up one of the small napkins to wipe away the tears that had dribbled all the way down her neck.

"Melina," Shoto called to her.

He went to her, taking her by the hand when she did not move. With a steadying arm around her waist to support her on her wobbly legs, he pulled her forward.

"Hello there, Melina," Rei greeted her, the words soft and kind.

"Hello, Rei," she responded, taking the woman's outstretched hands.

"Why haven't you come to visit me? I've missed our little talks."

Guilt closed in on her, squeezing her chest.

"I'm sorry," Melina apologized breathlessly. "There's something I've needed to tell you. I just didn't...I just d-didn't know how. I'm - "

"I know," Rei said, letting go of one of Melina's hands to press it to her belly. "I'm going to be a grandmother. I know the baby is Toya's."

"I'm s-so s-sorry I couldn't tell you," sobbed Melina, collapsing into the woman's comforting, motherly embrace.

"It's okay, dear. Everything is going to be okay," she assured her.

Melina was beginning to believe it the more she heard it.

Hana entered the room, serene as ever. The only thing different about her was the big smile on her face. She knew about Enji Todoroki's surprise for his family. She bowed deeply to her mistress, the one and only true Queen of the Todoroki castle.

"Welcome home, Mistress. Appetizers and drinks will served shortly," she announced.

Melina reluctantly let go of Rei. She needed to be with her children, to continue her long overdue reunion with them, as a family.

"I'm...I-I'm going outside. F-for a w-walk. Fr-fresh air, y-you know," she stuttered helplessly, her nerves completely rattled.

Shoto seized her wrist when she tried to walk past him.

"I'll go with you," he offered.

"No. You need to stay here," she said, twisting her wrist free of his strong grip. "You need to be with your family."

"But you're a part of this family. You should stay too," he insisted.

"No...not right now," she protested, leaning forward to press a kiss square to his lips. "This needs to be all of you. I really do j-just n-need..." She paused to inhale a steadying breath. "I just need a moment."

"Okay," he returned, gazing at her dubiously. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure. I'll be out in the garden. I'm not going far."

"All right."

Melina could feel his eyes on her, full of worry, as she walked away. If she stayed, she would feel like she was intruding on a special family moment. Too bad the family wasn't exactly complete.

She meandered through the garden, absentmindedly allowing her fingertips to drift over velvety petals or through the tall decorative grasses. The sound of the trickling fountain caught her attention as she strolled toward the Pergola. As she neared the area, she saw someone sitting on the couch. A man, his back to her, black spiky hair, upturned black collar. His horribly scarred arms visible from the forearm down under the elbow length sleeves with the thick metal cuffs.

"Why do you waste your breath swearing you will never come back when you always do?" she said, stopping a few yards behind him.

"When I say the words, I mean them," he replied without turning around. "Then, before I know it, I find myself where I swore I would never go."

"You're such a damn liar, Dabi," she growled viciously.

"That's the least of my crimes," he muttered.

"I'm aware. We've said all this before," she sighed noisily in exasperation. "We always have the same damn conversations. It's the same...always. The same insults. The same lies. The same..." Her voice faltered, her breath hitching and coming in a quivering gasp. "The same pain."

She squeezed her fingers into fists until she could feel her fingernails biting into her palms. The physical pain pushed back the tears.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Melina asked.

"I don't know." Dabi stood up, turning to face her, but remaining on the other side of the couch.

"Are you expecting forgiveness? Acceptance? To be welcomed back with open arms?" she needled him with acid in her tone.

"I don't know!" he yelled at her. "I just can't stay away from you no matter how much I want to!"

Melina was the only one who could provoke him to the degree of anger to shout. Others could make him raise his voice in aggravation, but she made him want to scream in fury.

"If you came for me, you wasted your trip. But..." she said, directly meeting his gaze. "Since you're here, why don't you go inside? You arrived just in time for a second in a lifetime chance...or possibly third. Hell, I don't know. You've had so many chances to make things right and fucked them all up, I've lost count. Your entire family is here. You're the only one missing. Your Mom is here."

"Mom is here?" Dabi asked, his narrow eyes widening into big round circles.

"Yeah. Your Mom too. Everyone. Just go. You should join them and not screw up another chance to be a family again."

"I can't. I won't. It will never happen. We'll never be a family again."

"How do you know if you don't at least try? Your Father extended an invitation to you, Toya," she said, ignoring the explosive flare of rage in his glowing blue-green eyes when she used that name. "You don't need me to explain what a big deal that is. Do you think it was easy for that man to humble himself, to ask you to forgive him, to almost beg you to be a part of the family again? God, to hate him so much, you sure are a hell of a lot like him."

"I'm nothing like him!" he shouted.

"You're EXACTLY like him!" she shrieked back. "Selfish, stubborn, prideful...a gigantic pain in the ass! You are your Father's son no matter how much you to try to fight it. It seems like the more you try NOT to be like him, the more you are! Goddammit, Toya!"

Melina ran forward grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket. Whether it be the rage, the hormones, a rush of adrenaline, her raw strength, whatever it was, something enabled her to grab him and shake him mercilessly like a mad dog that has attacked its prey.

"Just try! They're willing to forgive you! Why can't you forgive them?!" she screamed, still shaking him. Tears streaked down her face and wet her neck, soaking into the top of her dress. "Why can't you just try? Try to be a family! You have a chance! Please, please, take it!"

Melina let him go, shoving him backwards away from her. Dropping to her knees onto the gravel path, the tiny stones scratched her knees. She pounded her flat palms on the rocks, scattering them everywhere and cutting her tender palms. She wailed and sobbed, releasing the sadness, the fear, the anger, the resentment - all the hurt she held bottled up inside of her.

Dabi knelt down in front of her, pulling her into his arms. He held her despite the fact she tried to push him away, fighting him with all of her might. He continued to hold on when she resorted to punching him in the back of his head and his shoulders after he refused to let her go.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he apologized over and over, stroking the back of her head.

"Don't tell me! Go tell your family!" she squalled, thrashing about in his embrace.

"You've got to calm down. For the baby's sake. Please," he pleaded with her. "Please, for our child...stop!"

Melina stilled in his arms. Between fighting to escape his arms, burning through her adrenaline dump, and wearing herself with her violent crying, she had exhausted herself. Panting for air, her chest aching with her need to breath, she leaned heavily against him.

"Goddamn you," she croaked, her voice hoarse due to her raw throat. "Goddamn you to hell, Toya Todoroki."

Without relinquishing his grip on her, he moved his arms, one enclosing her shoulders and leaning her back for the other to work its way under her knees and scoop her upwards. Standing to his feet, wavering uncertainly a few times as he struggled to stand, he held her close to his chest.

She felt like a rag doll in his arms as he carried her to the house. Helpless. Whimpering. Pitiful. Completely at his mercy. But the only thing he felt was the need to protect her - and shame. That little woman had dumped great, heaping amounts of shame onto him which was not exactly undeserved.

The kitchen door opened as he approached the house. Hana stood there looking alarmed. Her old eyes were usually hidden behind layers of wrinkles and appeared to be closed. At the moment they were wide open and staring at him in shock. Their barely blue color was covered by a layer of tears.

"Master Toya, what happened?"

"A fit of temper, Hana. Nothing more. She'll be fine," he said.

"Bastard," Melina growled, raising a fist that softly contacted his chest. "Put me down."

"Bring her in," Hana told him, stepping back from the open door to allow him to enter.

"Dabi? What the hell?" Shoto asked, distracted more by seeing his wayward brother than the half-conscious Melina in his arms. "What the fuck are you doing here? No one invited you. Get the hell out of here."

"Shoto," Enji Todoroki said, his loud voice and the heavy hand on his shoulder silencing his youngest son. "Actually, I did invite him here."

"But why?"

"If we can be a family again, we should try. All of us."

"But Dad - "

"Shoto, take Melina to her room. Take care of her. I want to talk to Toya first," Enji said.

Shoto went to his brother, staring him down. He slid his arms under her body, never losing eye contact as they made the exchange.

"What the hell, man?" Shoto muttered to his brother in a low voice so only they could hear.

"I didn't come here to hurt her...or you," he returned, becoming unsure of exactly what the hell he was doing here and if he had made a terrible mistake.

"Toya?" Rei called, pushing past her large husband blocking the doorway.

"Mom," Dabi inhaled, his breath wavering.

"Toya!" she cried out, running to him and enveloping him in her arms.

"Mom," he repeated, wrapping his arms around her small, frail body.

Melina closed her eyes, more tears streaking down her cheeks as she listened to the loud sobbing echoing from the kitchen, a disturbing mixture of joy and sadness, mourning even. The sound tore at her heart and shredded what was left of her emotions.

"Are you okay?" Shoto asked when he felt her trembling in his arms.

"No," she confessed. "But I will be. We all will be, I think."

"Yeah," he returned, sounding less than convinced.

Shoto carefully lay her on the bed, allowing her body to sink into the soft mattress and pillow before he took his arms from under her. He kissed her forehead, promising to return before he disappeared into her private bathroom.

Melina hauled her heavy, tired body out of the bed. She was sore all over as if she had engaged in strenuous physical activity. Actually, she had in her battle with her own emotions and physically with Dabi. Though not a real fight, she had wanted to beat the hell out of him but her overwhelming emotions required too much of her strength to hold them in check at that time.

She walked up behind Shoto who was running water over a washcloth to clean her many cuts and abrasions. Taking the cloth away from him, she turned off the water.

"Go. I can take care of myself. Go be with your family. They need you right now," she said, nudging him away from the sink. "I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Go."

Melina waited for him to leave, then leaned against the counter to hold herself up. She quickly washed her hands to rid her palms of any remaining tiny rocks or debris. After haphazardly brushing off her knees with the damp washcloth, she stumbled back to the bed to lie down.

Her belly cramped lightly. Probably from all the crying. Her back ached as well. Rolling onto her side, hugging a pillow for comfort, she curled into a fetal position.

As she lay there, her heart pulsing in her ears, she felt an unusual fluttery sensation in her tummy. The feeling was like butterfly wings brushing against her insides.

"Oh," she gaped, pressing her hand to her belly. "The baby is moving."

Once again she was driven to tears. However, joyful tears were not the same as sad ones. She wanted to share the good news with Shoto. But it would have to wait.

Cradling her belly with her arms as if holding her baby already, Melina fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

Author's Notes: Hi, everyone! Sorry it's been so long. Gonna keep this part short. Thank you to everyone for reviews, favorites, and follows. The \'/ symbol indicates a small passage of time, only a few hours. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Melina lingered in bed longer than she should have. It just felt so good to lie here in the peace and quiet. The sunlight filtered through the shutters on the windows, dividing into individual beams of light It must be late in the morning for the sun to be so bright.

Hauling herself out of bed, she groaned like an old woman. She hated this tiredness. At least she didn't feel sick this morning. That was new. And good. After a quick shower, she went to her closet to get dressed. Pulling on a pair of jeans, she was disturbed to find there was a two inch gap between the button and the buttonhole.

"What the hell?" she muttered, trying hard to make the two meet.

After much straining and sweating, sucking in of the gut and finally lying down on the bed while pulling in her belly, she was able to make the button slip through the hole and close the zipper. She could make it work, but it would hurt. She felt as if she were being cut in two. So not worth it.

With a dejected sigh, Melina removed her formerly most comfortable and loose pair of jeans, kicking them into the corner of her closet in frustration. She snatched another pair of pants from their hanger. The same thing happened. Her irritation grew as she tried on more articles of clothing that were too tight or did not fit at all. Her eyes settled on the one of the pair of stretchy maternity shorts she had bought.

"Good thing I gave up and got these," she muttered to herself.

After putting on one of the tent like tops, she went to the mirror. Gazing at her reflection, she smoothed her hand over her slightly extended abdomen. She had grown overnight. Yep, she was pregnant all right.

No wonder her belly had hurt so much when she went to bed. The muscles were stretching. As if to announce his or her presence, to remind her why her tummy had taken a growth spurt of a different kind, the baby moved around giving her that odd but comforting quivering inside of her newly rounded belly.

"Hello, baby. Good morning," she greeted her child, rubbing her abdomen. A growl erupted from her empty stomach. "You must be hungry too. Sorry I slept late."

Melina was surprised Shoto had not come in to wake her up like he usually does. Who knows what time he went to bed though. His family had been gathered last night for the first time in...well, she had no idea and they probably could not even remember when the last time they were all in the same room either.

The whole family, including Rei and Dabi, had been together. She assumed the gathering went well considering she was not awakened by yelling or fighting during the course of the night. The house was still standing. That was a good sign. She smiled to herself as she walked into her sitting room.

As she prepared to sit down to her breakfast hidden under a cloche on the low table, she heard a rustling in the baby's room. She crept to the closed doors, pressing her ear to the screen to listen. The light , barely audible swish of clothing alerted her that someone was definitely in there. No one had gotten to see the baby's room last night due to her going to bed early. Perhaps it was just Fuyumi or Natsuo looking around.

Melina cautiously slid apart the doors as not to scare the person on the other side in case by some chance it was Rei who had been allowed an extended visit. It was someone she never imagined, but wasn't exactly surprised, to see.

Dabi stood at the crib, his hands resting on the side rail. He stared at the empty crib so intently she wondered if he was picturing the baby there. The thought made her so sad it brought tears to her eyes.

"Dabi," she said to get his attention.

He did not look at her or speak. He reached into the crib,picking up the stuffed rabbit in the blue coat.

"Dabi, what are you doing here?" she asked, keeping her voice low and gentle. She did not feel the need to scream at him or even be angry with him at the moment.

"I just wanted to see the baby's room before I left. It's really happening. You're really having our baby," he said as if simply stating the random thoughts in his head.

Melina smiled sympathetically. She understood how he felt. Needless to say, the presence of the baby became a reality to her much faster. She absentmindedly rubbed her belly. More and more of a reality every day.

"I'll admit there were many times I thought you had made the whole thing up," he confessed, putting the toy back down in the corner of the mattress. "I actually tried to convince myself that you were lying in some sick attempt to try to get me to take you back."

"I would never do that. I'm not that kind of person...anymore," she added.

She held no illusions about the heinous individual she had allowed herself to become, driven by bitterness and hatred. There were many times she had lied, cheated, and manipulated to get her way - even in the not so distant past.

But she had changed. Her life had changed. There was no room for fallacies and deception any longer. She could not live that way because something more important had come along for her to cherish and take care of, something beyond herself. A person she had not even met yet was the most important person in her life.

"You're not at all the same person you were when you were with me," he agreed, turning his back to her to walk toward the dresser. "You're not someone I know anymore. While I'm still the same person I've always been. One more reason I can never with you again."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" she questioned him pointedly, a harsh tone creeping into her voice. "We're over and will never be together again. I understand. I get it. I've gotten it through my thick skull. I've accepted it. Have you?"

"Shoto showed everyone the pictures and video of the ultrasound. By the way he acts you'd think he was the father," he murmured, opening the top drawer.

For a moment, Dabi did not say anything. He slid his fingers over the clothing inside before pulling out a onesie. Unfolding it, he saw the words _Born to be a Hero_ emblazoned on the front of the white one piece cotton outfit in black block letters.

He could not help but chuckle bitterly at the cruel irony, the circular destiny. The son of a hero became a villain. The son or daughter of a villain will become a hero. It was all too much. It was enough to make a grown man cry.

But he would not cry because tears were a waste of time. He had irreparably burned a proverbial bridge, and he knew it - he did it on purpose as a matter of fact. There was no forgiveness for him. He did not want it. There was no road back. What would tears accomplish? After folding the outfit and replacing it, he closed that drawer to open another one.

"You're getting what you wanted, aren't you? " she snapped. "For me to be with Shoto? For him to step up and be the man you couldn't be?"

The words sounded harsh to her own ears which made seeing Dabi visibly flinch from the verbal daggers made the backlash hurt so much more. Melina covered her mouth with her hand before any more emotional weapons in the form of words came flying out.

"I'm proud of Shoto. Once again, you called it. You were always a perceptive woman bordering on being a mind reader. My little brother has indeed stepped up and become the man I couldn't be." Although he repeated her barbed words paraphrased, his tone was unexpectedly warm carrying the tiniest hint of pride. "Shoto truly is the consummate hero, isn't he? He'll really give Dad a run for his money one of these days. Endeavor will have to stay on his toes to keep the top spot."

Her hand dropped from her mouth.

"Honestly, Dabi, I don't think Shoto gives a damn about that. He's willing to let that honor go to someone else. After seeing what your Father did to get there, after all of the suffering your family endured in his race to be number one, I don't think Shoto could possibly care less about claiming that title. His best revenge will be succeeding at what Enji Todoroki should have been much sooner...a good husband and father."

"Ouch," he muttered, flinching as he turned to face her. "Damn you're mean. You've always had an angel's face and a devil's tongue." He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yes, despite being declared the number one hero, Enji Todoroki will always be number two to his wife and family."

Melina could not stop the giggle that burst out of her mouth. She had not expected Dabi to call his father a piece of shit in such a humorous way. The dead pan delivery made it twice as funny.

Dabi always did have the knack for catching her unawares by saying and doing things were so not like him. It was those out of the blue words or actions that had made her fall in love with him to begin with. She cleared her throat, squashing the laughter.

Shoto had that same talent of catching her off guard, whether it be in word or deed, and making her laugh. The Todoroki men all shared a crass, sarcastic sense of humor - including Natsuo which she found out the hard way during their first meeting.

"Have you eaten breakfast? I'm sure Hana has plenty in the kitchen if you would like to eat before you go," she said as a subtle and polite hint that he should leave.

"I'm going, Melina. Besides, I've already eaten. Hana wouldn't leave me alone until I ate something. I just wanted to see the baby's room before I left," he repeated, turning away from the chest of drawers to look at her. "It was good to see you again."

"I wish I could say the same," she remarked using a kind tone which somehow made the words sharper.

Melina felt a presence behind her, then a warm, soothing hand on the small of her back. Shoto's energy: firm, unshakable, and steadfast, enabled her to say the next words without them hurting so much.

"Good-bye, Dabi."

"You're leaving?" Shoto asked despite the obvious.

"Yeah. I'm going. I enjoyed the family reunion," he said, sounding sincere. "It was nice being with everyone again. Especially Mom."

"It was," agreed Shoto, protectively placing his hand on Melina's belly. "Will you come back for another visit? Dad is bringing Mom here for dinner on Sunday. I think he's going to try to make it a weekly thing. If the hospital will allow it."

"I don't know. Maybe," Dabi replied vaguely. "Later, Bro. Bye, Melina."

"Later," Shoto returned.

Melina said nothing, averting her eyes as Dabi walked out of the room. Watching him leave had never been easy for her.

"Are you all right?" Shoto asked her, patting her tummy.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she questioned him in return. laying her hand on top of his.

"You've grown," Shoto commented, rubbing his hand over her burgeoning abdomen in circles.

"Gee, thanks, as if I didn't already know. The baby's growing so it's only normal I do too, right?"

"Of course," he agreed, hearing her empty stomach grumble. "You should eat. I know you're not hungry, but you need to keep your strength up for the baby."

"Actually, I _am_ hungry this morning."

"No morning sickness?"

"No morning sickness," she confirmed. "Not even your brother could make me lose my appetite this morning. Actually, as far as conversations between us go, that one was quite pleasant."

Hopefully one day things would not be so strained between herself and Dabi. They would need to come to some kind of mutual agreement, find a way to deal with each other, since they were a family and would be stuck together whether they wanted to be or not. It seemed everyone was making a concerted effort to be a family - particularly Enji.

Melina felt her face stretching into a wide, joyful smile.

"Ah, you're glowing," Shoto said, taking her face between his hands.

"What?" she asked, baffled by expression on his face.

The corners of his mouth curled upwards ever so gently into a soft smile. His eyes were shiny, glassy, as if he was drunk. Was this the expression of a man totally, helplessly, in love?

"You're glowing. You're absolutely gorgeous," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers in an affectionate gesture.

"You are relentless and amazing," she returned, embracing him. "Twitterpated."

"What? What does that mean?"

"It means you are a man infatuated. Practically obsessed."

"I resemble that remark. I'm in love with you. Sorry, but you're stuck with me," he said, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm glad," she said, hugging him tightly in return.

"Let's eat," he suggested, pulling her to the table by her hand.

"So what's going on with you today?" she asked as they sat down.

"Well, I'm meeting the guys at the mall. We're just going to hang out. See what we can get into there. No big plans. What are you going to do today?"

"I don't know. Putter around in the garden, make bouquets, take a swim, take a nap. The same things I do everyday. It all sounds so damn boring," she muttered, stabbing a piece of melon with her fork. "Will you bring me back something?"

"Sure. What do you want?"

"I'm craving red bean taiyaki. And a chocolate one too, please."

"Cravings already?" he questioned her.

"Yeah. I didn't expect this so soon either. Pregnancy is fun," she sighed, massaging her pooch.

"And you've still got four months to go."

"Don't remind me."

"When is your next appointment?" he asked, pouring her a cup of tea.

"A few days before you go back to school."

"Good. I'll go with you," he readily offered.

"You don't have to. You won't be able to come with me after you go back to the dorm anyway. Besides, there's nothing to worry about," she added as if to assure herself more so than him.

"But I want to." He placed her hand over hers resting on her knee, squeezing reassuringly. "It's important. You and the baby are important to me. Everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah," she leaned forward, kissing his cheek. "Everything is fine."

\'/

* * *

Later as Melina stood on the porch telling Shoto good bye, Enji spun into the driveway, kicking up rocks and clouds of dust behind the Jeep.

"Dad, can I borrow the car?" she asked. "I can drive Shoto to the mall. I have some things I want to do today."

Shoto snorted in his effort to stifle his laugh. Enji smiled broadly on the verge of laughter.

"What?" she asked. "What's so funny?"

"You suddenly sound like you're sixteen. You actually are becoming one of my kids," Enji commented, hopping out of the driver's seat with the keys in his hand. Approaching them at the bottom of the stairs, tossing the keys in the air and catching them, he asked, "Can you even drive?"

"Better than you," she retorted, raising her nose into the air and sniffing indignantly. "I had a life before coming here. I also had a much different life in the United States, you know. I drove to a job every day. I lived out in the middle of nowhere. I took care of myself."

"Yeah, well, you have all of us do that for you now," Shoto reminded her.

"I'm not helpless or disabled suddenly. I'm pregnant," she snapped.

"Fine, fine, Miss Stubborn and Determined," Enji said, tossing her the keys. "Be careful, kiddo. Take care of my grandchild...and your future husband."

"Let's go!" Melina cried out excitedly, grabbing Shoto by the hand.

"Hey! Don't you need your purse or something?!" he asked her, digging in his heels. As they passed his father, he uttered in a stage whisper, "Dad, I don't wanna go. I'm scared."

"You'll be fine, son. She's probably right. I bet she can drive better than me," he said, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "I've got somewhere I need to be anyway. Hibiki can take me. Have fun kids!"

"Miss! Here's your handbag!" Hana exclaimed, standing on the porch with Melina's brown leather purse that looked like a messenger's bag.

Melina jogged back to the porch, running up the stairs to retrieve her purse. She kissed the woman who was like a second grandmother to her on the cheek. Although the woman intimidated her at times, she loved her because she could feel Hana's love and care in everything she did despite her reticence and strict adherence to tradition.

Happiness bred by love, the love of all of those around her, was the warmest feeling of all. Melina could not stop smiling as she ran to the Jeep. Shoto waited for her in the passenger's seat. Life is good. Life is real good.

"Have a good day, Miss!" Hana yelled after them as Melina cranked the Jeep.

Melina was having a great day. Never before had she felt such a sense of freedom as when she drove down the road, the wind whipping her hair around her face. She was in control. She could choose where to go, what to do. It was a great feeling.

After dropping off Shoto at the entrance of the mall where Bakugo, Midoriya, and Kirishima waited for him, she waved good-bye to all of them, blowing Shoto a kiss. She knew the others would tease him terribly about that mushy farewell, but she didn't care. She doubted Shoto would care much either.

Melina went to the park, walking along the shady path covered by the branches of trees that had grown together to form a canopy overhead. Since she was close by, she went by the flower shop. Upon entering, the owner immediately looked her way to greet her new customer.

"Oh, Melina!" the owner exclaimed after seeing her.

Forgetting about her present customer standing in front of her, Nana ran around the counter to greet Melina with a hug.

"How have you been? Where have you been?" Taking at glimpse at her small but definitely pregnant belly magnified by the maternity shirt, the woman's eyes bulged in surprise and she asked, "When did that happen?"

"Oh, about five months ago," she replied, shrugging her shoulders as if to throw off the weight of embarrassment. "I'm going to make a bouquet. You should finish with your other customer. We can talk in a minute."

Melina blew out a breath as Nana hurried back to assist the woman at the counter who thankfully did not appear upset one bit by being abandoned and summarily ignored. Going to the coolers in the back of the floral shop, she set about choosing flowers for a bouquet for Rei. Pink baby roses and carnations dyed blue, baby's breath and frilly green ferns.

"Perfect," she commented out loud to herself as she prepared to wrap them in yellow and mint green tissue paper.

"Very nice. A present for the grandmother I presume?" Hana ventured when Melina brought them to the register to pay.

"How did you know?" she asked, digging in her purse for her wallet.

"Just a guess," the woman replied. "When do you plan on making more of your cosmetics? I really could use another supply. People ask for them everyday."

"I, uh, I really don't do that anymore." Her heart sank as she recalled the fire; the beehives engulfed in flame, lighting up the night from the rooftop.

"Oh? Why not?" The disappointment showed on Nana's face.

"Something happened to my bees," she answered vaguely, handing the woman a bill to pay for the flowers. Hurrying for the door, she called behind her, "Keep the change."

"It was great seeing you! If you decide to start making them again, I'll be happy to sell them!"

"Sure thing. It was good seeing you too! Bye!"

Melina was grateful for the walk to the hospital. It gave her a chance to clear her head, to put the emotional distress behind her. She knocked on Rei's door feeling quite anxious. When no answer came, she tentatively slid open the door. There was no one inside.

 _Oh, dammit_ , she thought, suddenly remembering. Today is Rei and Enji's marriage counseling session. She had completely forgotten.

Going inside, she threw out the drooping blooms in one of the vases. Cleaning it and refilling it with water, she arranged the new bouquet. Scrawling a short note on the pad sitting on the bedside table, she apologized for missing Rei and expressed how much she looked forward to seeing her on Sunday for the family dinner. Then she left.

 _Maybe I should go back to beekeeping_ , she mused as she walked to the Jeep. _Or maybe I should find new hobbies that have nothing to do with my past._

But beekeeping had also been a wonderful part of her present when she was teaching the kids about bees and showing the girls how to formulate the make up and lotions.

Bypassing the car in the parking lot, Melina walked across the street to the library. So much for having a boring day at home. Not necessarily an epic adventure, but she was enjoying her outing. For the first time in a few months time, she was on her own, doing things for herself. She had forgotten how much she relished her independence

\'/

* * *

After spending two hours in the library researching hobbies such as wreath making, knitting, gardening, and other crafts centered around home making, Melina decided to take a break for a snack.

Taking a chance and traveling farther down the street to explore new territory, she spotted a busy little cafe. Surely a packed house meant the place must be good. Especially for there to be so many people there late in the afternoon. There were no free tables, but she did spot a familiar face in the crowd.

All Might sat at a table in the corner all by himself. Papers covered the entire surface of the table except for a small square occupied by his coffee cup and untouched pastry. She smiled and ambled over to the corner, having to dodge a trio of chattering girls too busy looking at their phones and talking to each other to see her.

"May I join you?" she asked the man too focused on grading papers to take note of anyone or anything around him.

He looked up at her, his radiant blue eyes lost in a sea of black sclera. Those unusual eyes focused on her face then registered recognition.

"Wow, you were concentrating really hard weren't you?" she inquired, giving him a big smile which he returned showing his massive white teeth.

That smile just wasn't the same as when he was in his official hero form. The smile appeared sad in his shrunken form but his jaw remained formidable, his eyes intense. Toshinori Yagi despite not having the big body and big ego was still a strong, determined man. He was a great mentor and teacher, dedicated to heralding in a new generation of heroes to be reckoned with, specifically his successor Izuku Midoriya.

The thought of Izuku reminded her about Shoto being at the mall with his friends. She wondered how they were doing and hoped they were having fun. They deserved to have fun. Life had already tried to make them grow up way too fast, all of them being targeted by the League of Villains. She shuddered at the very memory of Shigaraki.

"I would love for you to join me," he said, gathering the papers into a single stack. "I was beginning to think I would never get to see you again."

Guilt washed over her. She felt like a prodigal daughter being sweetly chastised for not visiting her dear father. Her face grew warm with embarrassment. She had been avoiding visiting the school and seeing everyone. Why she didn't know. Maybe it was because every time she went out, she ran into people she didn't want to see ever again like Himiko Toga.

Hanging the strap of her purse on the back of the chair, she slid her hand over her stomach to smooth down her dress while preparing to sit.

"Whoa...you've grown," he remarked.

"Hmmm...yes, you're the second one to notice and say so today," she muttered.

"I didn't mean it as insult," he swiftly rejoined, his gaunt cheeks turning bright pink. "Motherhood suits you well. You're positively glowing. I never knew what that meant until seeing you at this moment."

Melina was sure she was glowing even more as her face heated up and darkened from the compliment. Shoto had also said that too. Thankfully the server showed up in time to distract her from her embarrassment. Smiling up at the young male server who gave her a menu, she recognized the boy as Hanta Sero.

"Oh, hello there. You're working during summer break?" she asked him

"Hi, Miss Zusa," he greeted her with a large, friendly smile. "I'm working just to keep from being bored. Not gonna lie, the extra money is nice too. What can I get for you today?"

"What would you suggest?"

"There's a vanilla creme cake that's really good. A strawberry danish made with real strawberry preserves."

"Anything chocolate?"

"A chocolate croissant. A dark chocolate cake with orange whipped cream frosting."

"Oooh, that one! The chocolate cake," she requested.

"Coffee?"

"With real cream, please," she said politely.

"Sir, would like another cup of coffee?" he asked All Might.

"I would, young man," he replied in his deep voice that projected through the air even when he was speaking low.

"Sure thing. I'll be right back with your order."

"So what are you up to, young lady?" All Might questioned her directly, setting aside the papers to converse with her.

"Just trying to figure out what to do with myself. I need a new sense of purpose. Besides the baby of course," she explained, picking up one of the papers. "Aren't you on break right now? Why do have so many papers to grade?"

"As a teacher, the work never ends. Catching on term papers. I sure could use an assistant," he said, catching her eyes after she replaced the paper onto the stack. "What about you? Would that do as a new sense of purpose?"

"Me? But I can't. I left the school because - "

"I know why you left, but here's the thing. No one would have asked you leave. You're not a bad influence. We all know you and like you. We don't know all of your circumstances, and it's none of our business. But we know the kind of person you are. You're not a bad person. You just a made a few bad choices...that's all," he said, sounding extremely fatherly.

"Hmph," she groused, staying quiet while Hanta set her coffee and cake down in front of her and refilled All Might's cup from the pot he carried.

 _A few bad choices. Boy, that's an understatement_ , she thought.

Inhaling the mouthwatering aromas of coffee, chocolate, and orange, she took a moment to indulge her other senses. The clinking of silverware against dishes. The beige colored coffee in the white ceramic mug. The dull hum of conversations around them that was like the humming of the hundreds of bees in a hive. The cake so dark, so full of chocolate, it was black. She picked the piece of dark chocolate covered candied orange peel from the top of the cake to nibble at it.

"Being at the school will strictly be on a volunteer basis. You can choose when and how long you want to be there. I'm sure you have doctor's appointments and other things you need to do. You can even pick and choose what you do. The other teachers could use help with things. There's also tutoring the students. I know for a fact the girls would love to have you back, imparting more of your knowledge about the bees and how to make your cosmetics," he said.

"That's unfair, Toshinori Yagi. Don't use the kids to try to convince me," she responded, picking up her coffee cup.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, picking up his cup as well. "I really wasn't trying to manipulate you."

When he lowered his eyes from hers, a remorseful expression on his face, Melina reached across the table to place her hand over his to assure him she was not upset. Although his hand was huge, it felt fragile and skeletal under hers.

"All you had to do was ask," she said, lifting her hand. "I miss all of you so much. Are you really sure it's okay for me to be there?"

"It will be fine. Principal Nezu was just asking about you. He'd be happy to see you too."

"Well, I will come for a few hours a day. And I won't live on campus."

"Completely reasonable stipulations. Besides, I'll be retiring one of these days. Probably after the next school year is up."

Melina choked on her coffee.

"Wh-what?" she stammered, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"I'm tired, Melina. I love these kids. I love teaching, but I want to rest. Before I die," he added in a way that made her want to cry.

"Oh, All Might," she murmured, reaching across the table to take one of his massive hands between hers.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on dying any time soon. I want to see what kind of quirk, what kind of hero that baby of yours becomes. It's bound to be interesting."

His second gross understatement of the day. He was definitely right about that. It was going to be interesting to see this child grow up so he would have to stick around for quite a bit longer.

\'/

* * *

Melina was sitting in the kitchen trying to plan the menu for Sunday dinner. Hana had taken her by surprise by insisting she choose the the dishes for the upcoming family gathering because it was her duty as mistress of this house. She stared at the blank piece of paper, tapping the pen on the wooden prep table.

Shoto's favorite food was Zaru Soba. The cold noodle dish would be great on a hot August day. What about the rest of the family? What would they all like to eat? Perhaps she should go with all cold dishes considering the oppressive summer heat outside. Sashima, cucumber salad, and ice cream, homemade of course, for dessert. She ran the menu by Hana.

"Good choices, Mistress. I think the family will be quite pleased," Hana reassured her.

Melina breathed an audible sigh of relief. She was doing her best to take her place as mistress of this house. Massaging her rounded tummy, her mind centered on her baby. The bizarre and entrancing sensation of the baby moving was like tiny bubbles bursting inside her belly.

She is the mother of a Todoroki. One day she would be the wife of a Todoroki. She was already a part of the family, and she needed to start acting like it.

"Mel," Shoto called to her.

He did not call her that nickname often so the use of it immediately grabbed her attention.

"Honey, I'm home," he announced, raising the white bag in his hand. "I brought presents."

"Oooh, taiyaki!" she exclaimed, extending her arms and flexing her fingers to make 'gimme' hands.

Despite having had a snack just two hours earlier, she was hungry again. Growing another human must be harder work for her body than she thought.

"Let's take a walk," she suggested, taking the bag from him.

"How was your day?" Shoto asked her, taking her by the arm as they prepared to dismount the back steps. "Before you say a word, yes, I know you're not helpless. I only want to keep you and the baby safe."

"I know," she sighed, linking her arm through his after putting both feet on the gravel path. "I had a great day. I actually went quite a few places. I stopped by the hospital, but I had forgotten today was your parents counseling session. I went to the library to research hobbies. I'm trying to find something useful to do with myself besides read baby books and think too much."

"Mmm, yes, thinking too much is a bad habit of yours."

"I saw All Might today," she said, ignoring his remark.

"Oh, really?"

"He was at a cafe I was curious to try. Sero is working there. Seeing him also was a nice surprise," she went on, opening the bag while keeping her arm securely wrapped around his.

Breaking one of the fish shaped pastries in half, she handed the tail to him.

"A man does enjoy a good piece of tail," he commented in such an emotionless tone she almost missed the dirty insinuation.

Melina giggled like a school girl, elbowing him in the ribs.

"God, you're so different with me," she murmured, taking a bite of the fried pancake dough filled with creamy chocolate.

"I feel like I can be myself with you. Like I don't have to hide anything. You won't judge me or think badly of me for saying crazy things like that," he said, stuffing the entire piece of taiyaki in his mouth.

"I could say the same thing about you. I'm so thankful you've never judged me or thought me to be a horrible person. Although you could have and would have been right. I really wasn't a good person for quite a long time."

"Well, obviously the good was always there. Way down deep, you've always been a good person."

"Oh, Shoto," she sighed, her heart filling to overflowing with a warm fuzzy feeling for him that filtered throughout her entire body making her tingle from head to toe.

"So what happened at the cafe with All Might?" he inquired to change the subject when her eyes filled with happy tears.

"We had a really nice visit. He suggested I come to school to assist him. To help out wherever I can. Maybe even teach a little. Just on a strictly occasional, volunteer basis," she added. "I won't return to living on campus or anything."

"It will still be great not having to go so long without seeing you. I'm glad he made that suggestion," Shoto said, sliding his arm from hers to take her by the hand.

"Tell me about your day. What did you do? Did you have fun?" she questioned him.

"More of our classmates joined us later. There was a big group of us today. Now I know why Sero wasn't there. We went to the arcade and the movie theater. We went to the go-cart track too. Bakugo kept crashing into everyone on purpose so they made us leave. That idiot didn't seem to understand the difference between go-cart racing and bumper cars. We're planning on going to the amusement park next week."

"The last big hurrah before you go back to school?"

"Yeah. You want to come?"

"Nah, I don't think so. I'd rather not get on any of the rides. I don't want to take any chances," she reminded him, patting her belly.

Shoto stopped, turning toward her. While continuing to hold her hand, he placed his other hand on her abdomen.

"You can ride the Ferris wheel with me. We can ride the carousel together. The view from the sky cars is breathtaking. Romantic," he added, running his fingers through her hair.

"Is it important to you that I come with you?" she asked, cupping his rounded jaw with her hand.

"Yes. It is. I want you to be with me," he admitted, squeezing her hand still held securely in his.

He was so baby faced. Sometimes he acted so far beyond his years. An old soul inhabiting a young body. Then other times he acted much younger than age of sixteen years, cracking veiled dirty jokes or shamelessly pouting.

At the moment, she saw him as a man, the man she loved. The man she with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

"Will you go with me?" he asked.

She smiled. "I will."

"One day you'll say that in a completely different context."

"I will," she repeated, rising on her tiptoes to place a chaste kiss square on his lips.

"I want it to happen just like that...when I kiss my wife for the first time."

"Me too."

They continued to stroll leisurely along the path, not saying a word until they reached the pergola. They sat down on the swing to share the red bean taiyaki.

"I have incredible news. Hana allowed me to choose the menu for the family dinner on Sunday," she divulged excitedly before taking a bite.

"That is big news," he agreed. grabbing her hand and pulling the fish shaped treat to his mouth to take a bite while it was still clutched in her fist. "If she's turning some of the household duties over to you, I guess she's finally accepted you as the mistress of the house."

"I really don't like that word considering what this house was used for and what you called it," she confessed.

"Well, don't forget there are two different meanings of the word. A mistress doesn't just refer to the illicit lover of a married man. When used in reference to you, here and now, it means you're the female head of household. You know that," he said, placing his hand on her knee. "It also means a woman who has power, authority, or ownership. You have all three."

Melina held her breath as he gazed deeply into her eyes. Her skin prickled over her entire body from the intensity of that look.

"The power to bring this family together. The authority to do as you please here because this is your house now. You own my heart," he helpfully clarified. "You've always had this aura of power that captured my attention before I even talked to you. You have always acted so secure, so self-assured. Like no one and nothing could scare you or intimidate you."

"You were wrong," she returned in a voice barely above a whisper. "I'm terrified of so many things. I'm not that brave. I wish I was. But I'm not."

"You're a hell of a lot more courageous than you're giving yourself credit for being. The way I've seen you stand up to my Father is mesmerizing. The way you've stood up to Dabi surprised me."

"I'm a crybaby."

"It doesn't matter how much you cry. The tears don't mean you're weak. They mean you feel things, genuine emotion. You cry when you're sad or scared. You also cry when you're happy or feeling so much you don't know what else to do. Actually, seeing you vulnerable reminds me that you need me. Letting your guard down has allowed me to be bold with you, to say what I think and tell you how I feel. The way I love you frightens me," he confessed, leaning closer to her.

"It scares me too," she admitted, inclining her head toward his.

"You own my heart," Shoto repeated, touching his forehead to hers.

"I'll take good care of it. I swear," she promised.

Shoto lifted his hand from her knee, pressing it against her chest between her breasts. Her heart beat so hard she was sure he could feel it bumping against his palm.

"I swear to protect your heart as well since you gave it to me despite your fear. Thank you," he said, leaning back enough to see her face.

"For what?" she rejoined, her face twisting in confusion.

"Allowing me to love you. And loving me in return," he murmured, his eyes delving deeply into hers that filled with tears from his heartfelt words. "Please tell me you're crying because you're happy."

"I am. I am beyond happy," she assured him, her voice raspy in an effort to hold back the tears that slipped over her lower eyelids.

"Somehow, we'll make this work. We'll be a happy family. All of us. Mom. Dad. Natsuo. Fuyumi. Dabi," he added, his eyes sliding away from hers.

"Hey," she called to him gently, taking his face between both of her palms to make him look at her. "Do you worry about me going back to him?"

"Yes," he confessed, reaching up to wipe the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I won't, but I guess that's one of those specters we'll always have to live with. Make peace with. That's why I fought so hard not to fall in love with you. I told you - "

"I know," he interrupted her. "I know this is something I'll have to live with. I'd rather live with that than live without you."

"You're such an old man sometimes. A romantic old geezer," she whispered through her tears making both of them laugh.

"But at least I look good for an old man, right?"

"You're not wrong."

They laughed harder and louder, a nervous release from the anxiety and seriousness of the conversation.

"Tell me you love me and kiss me," Shoto ordered her in the kindest of ways.

Melina leaned forward. Her lips to hovered over his so close they grazed his lips as she spoke, she proclaimed with all sincerity in a low, breathy voice that she loved him. Her mouth pressed to his for a tearful, heart rending kiss laying her emotions bare and expressing her love for him in action.

As if to make his or her presence known, the child inside of her moved. Melina broke the kiss with a gasp, glimpsing down at her belly.

"The baby's moving?" he asked, placing his hands against her abdomen. "I wish I could feel the baby."

"You will soon. By next month you can feel him or her moving," she said, stroking his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

"Have you thought about names?"

"I have. But I haven't chosen anything yet. Want to help me decide on a few? I figured we could pick out several and see what fits best after the baby is born."

"Good idea."

"Shoto, how many children do you want to have?" Melina inquired, realizing they had never discussed the matter.

"I don't know. Two, three, four. I like the idea of a big family. There's four of us kids after all. I think four is a good number. How many do you want to have?" he questioned her.

"I-I...I n-never really considered having children. I never thought I'd have children or a husband or any kind of family again."

Shoto gave her one of those sideways little grins of his. The smile was almost like a smirk as if he were hiding a secret.

"You were wrong," he said, leaning forward to brush his lips across hers in a teasing kiss.

"You are way too happy being able to tell me I was wrong," she laughed lightly, embracing him tightly. "But I'm happy I was wrong about that."

"You have a family, Melina...people who love you. Your family will only continue to grow."


	28. Chapter 28

Author's note: This update is a bit small, but I wanted this bit to be a stand alone event. I hope you enjoy it despite the brevity of it.

* * *

Shoto approached the bench where he had left Melina sitting only moments earlier. He went to buy her a drink and was gone for only a few minutes. All he saw were the loads of stuffed animals his friends had insisted on winning for the baby. How many plush theme park mascots and giant teddy bears as big as a person did a child need?

Melina was exhausted and had requested a moment to rest so surely she would not have gotten up and ran off somewhere. Maybe one of the girls grabbed her and pulled her into the nearby souvenir shop for more browsing. Perhaps one of the guys had come to get her to take her on another ride. Nah, none of them would have done that knowing she needed a break.

"Where did she go?" he asked himself out loud.

"I'm right here!" she called out, her voice sounding muffled and far away.

"Melina? Where - "

He watched in amazement as the paw of the biggest teddy bear, a cream colored one with big brown eyes that looked like chocolate bon bons, waved at him. Lunging forward, he picked up the enormous stuffed animal to see her sitting there with half closed, sleepy eyes. He smiled at her, relieved to see she was all right, albeit a little hot due being under the bear.

"I'm guessing you fell asleep and someone thought it would be funny to put the bear in your lap?" he ventured, handing her the plastic cup full of icy cold soda.

"That's my best guess. I'm sorry I'm wimping out so soon," she apologized.

Shoto placed his hand on her belly, patting it gently.

"It's okay. You are busy making another human. That's enough to tire anyone out," he remarked sweetly. "I'll call Hibiki to come get all of this stuff. But there's one more ride I want to take you on before we leave."

"We haven't gone on the Ferris Wheel yet," she said, recalling he wanted to save that one for last before leaving.

"Saving the best for last. I'll be right back. Rest a little bit more," he told her, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he walked away.

Melina had no idea why going on that ride was really important to him so she did not complain. Besides, it was the last one before going home. The sun was setting so it would be a beautiful view from the top. A perfect and romantic way to end their fun the day at the amusement park.

When Shoto returned, she had just finished off the drink and the baby was kicking around. She would swear the child was swimming laps due to the caffeine. Laying her hand on her belly, she could detect a slight quivering movement under her palm.

"Hey, give me your hand," she said to Shoto, reaching for his hand.

"What is it? Is everything okay?" he asked anxiously, squatting down in front of her and placing both of his hands on the small mound of her pregnant belly.

His eyes widened, and he inhaled sharply. She lay her hands over his, grinning broadly at him as he focused all of his attention on detecting the tiniest movement. He smiled, even laughed a little, with each flicker of motion, each barely a flutter, under his palms as the baby moved around inside her tummy.

"I feel them. Oh, my god, Mel, I feel the baby," he gushed in an excited whisper.

Without taking into consideration their surroundings, not caring that they were in public or how it might look in general, Shoto leaned forward to press his lips to hers.

Suddenly wolf whistles, cheers, and clapping erupted around them. Jumping up to a standing position, his entire face as red as his scar making it disappear under his blush, Shoto glanced around at his friends and classmates.

"I knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two!" Kirishima yelled triumphantly. Glancing at Sero and Kaminari, he told them, "You both owe me twenty bucks, losers."

"They were betting on what kind of relationship we have?" Melina pondered aloud, not sure if she should offended or amused.

"Apparently," Shoto muttered, rubbing his neck self-consciously.

"Stop it, you idiots!" Bakugo chastised them.

Melina smiled at him in gratitude, thankful he was coming to rescue them from death by humiliation.

"Besides, if you couldn't see these two had the hots for each other you're a bigger dumbass than I thought," he barked.

"Ugh," she groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead. "Gee thanks, Bakugo."

"Let's go," Shoto said, grasping her hand to pull her up from the bench.

Melina was beginning to wonder if her returning to the school was a bad idea. Not that the kids meant any harm by teasing them like that. Her leaving in the first place had been to avoid such uncomfortable situations, to hide her feelings for Shoto and avoid them as well. But things had changed.

The metaphorical cat was out of the bag; their secret had been set free for all to witness right here in the middle of the theme park. It was bound to happen sooner or later. She would have preferred later, but life had a tendency to work out in way she did not want it to.

"Why do you look so worried all of a sudden? What are you thinking about?" Shoto asked her, his face pinched with concern.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just squinting against the sun," she lied since they were facing the sunset which was still quite bright.

"Uh huh," he returned doubtfully.

They joined the long line at the back to wait their turn. They held hands and talked about her upcoming doctor's appointment, the family dinner on Sunday, and the inevitable return to 'normal' life on Monday - such as 'normal' is for them.

By the time they reached the front of the line, the colorful blinking lights outlining the round three story structure had come on and the sun was all but gone. The small amount of remaining sunlight split into individual rays extending above the softly glowing horizon cutting across the darkening sky in an effort to beat back the darkness. As they stepped into their enclosed compartment that resembled a big silver ball, the sun lost its battle, admitting defeat as night conquered for its temporary reign.

Shoto sat beside Melina, his hip pressed against hers before pulling her into his arms. They were alone. Separated from the world and everyone in it. Soon they would be above everything looking down to observe the twinkling lights in a vast array of colors, to behold the beauty that even the darkness could bring.

Melina giggled, feeling positively giddy when Shoto nuzzled her neck tickling her sensitive skin. Turning her face to his, she closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. Not to disappoint her, he pressed his lips to hers, his fingers trailing along her jaw.

"I'm so glad you found me," she whispered to him, her lips brushing across his with each word.

"I did find you, didn't I? I almost didn't speak to you that day. I just felt like I had to...I had to push past my fear, my doubt. You were so beautiful even when you were crying. I felt like I had to help you," he said, smoothing back the stray wisps of her hair that had fallen from her ponytail to frame her face.

"That's what heroes do, right? They help the hurting. They rescue those in need. They save people," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Like you saved me."

"You're giving me far too much credit," he murmured, stroking her head. "Besides, I think I could say the same thing about you."

The mechanical whir of the machine as it rotated the wheel, the creaking of the screws as their little cart swung back and forth became the only sounds between them as they held each other.

"Melina, there's something I want to ask you," Shoto announced, sliding from her arms to the floor in front of her.

He was kneeling in front of her on bended knee. One knee like men do to...wait! No. He can't be about to...

Shoto reached into the pocket of his jeans. When he withdrew his hand, there was a red velvet ring box sitting in the middle of his palm. He took an audible gulp, opening the box.

Melina shook from head to toe, tears blurring her vision as she tried to see the ring he revealed, Blinking rapidly, she cleared the tears from her eyes to send them streaking down her cheeks. The ring was small and not too fancy, but unique. Set in a silver metal, sterling silver or possibly platinum, a heart shaped ruby was flanked by two simple round diamonds.

"I know you didn't want to do this right now, but..." He paused to gulp again, the ring box juddering in his hand. "I love you, and I want everyone to know it. I'll buy a different ring later, a better one, but for now - "

"It's beautiful," she gasped, grasping the edge of the seat to keep herself upright.

Dizziness swamped her and the sight of him wavered under the layer of tears in her eyes. Happy tears.

Shoto inhaled a shaky breath. His quivering fingers had a difficult time grasping the ring to pull it out of the velvet in which it nestled. At last he pulled it free, dropping the box at her feet. Leaving it be, he took her hand in his. His fingers were cold but sweaty. The trembling of his hand made her shake even worse than she already was as if his nervousness was catching.

"Two people met unexpectedly. Against all odds, two hearts become one. You were not my other half, but my other whole. You are the person I had been waiting for to complete me, to make me better, to love me. You taught me to love truly, freely, unselfishly...and how to forgive," he said, sliding the ring on her tremulous finger.

Melina thought her pounding heart might burst, spilling out all of the strong feelings swirling around inside. Instead, those feelings pushed through her tear ducts, coursing down her face and dripping off of her chin and sliding down her neck forming cold, wet trails before soaking the front of her t-shirt.

She did not notice the tears or her wet shirt or anything that could be construed as negative. All she could see was Shoto. All she could feel was happy. Insanely happy. Happier than she had ever been.

And for once, she was not afraid or full of misgivings. Chewing her lower lip, trying to slow the tears at least so she could see clearly, her eyes followed the ring as he slid it onto her finger.

"Melina, will you marry me?" he asked with his love for her shining through his dual colored irises.

Melina tried to speak but could not find her voice because of the tears of joy clogging her throat. She nodded enthusiastically, throwing her arms around his neck. A sob escaped her as she held him, her arms tightening around his shoulders.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll marry you!" she exclaimed, her breath hitching at the end.

Her lips found his - a kiss to seal the deal. She tasted her own tears which for the first time did not taste bitter.


	29. Chapter 29

The rapidly thrumming heartbeat sounded like an alien drum solo. The black and white image of the twenty-two week old fetus jumped on the screen.

"Oh, she has the hiccups," remarked the nurse with a smile on her face.

"She?" Melina asked.

The nurse appeared horrified because she had accidentally let the metaphorical cat out of the bag.

"I am so sorry. Did you not want to know?" she inquired, raising her hand to her mouth but it was too late to hold back the secret.

"It's fine," Melina sighed. "I've never been a big fan of surprises. I've had far too many in my life."

Shoto squeezed her hand.

"A girl huh?" he murmured, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

"A healthy and wonderful baby girl. I can't wait to tell everyone."

~\\..'../~

* * *

In preparation for the family dinner and sharing the surprise, Melina included the color pink in inventive ways. A floral centerpiece of pink baby roses. Pickled radishes incorporating a bit of beet juice to turn them pink. Strawberry ice cream made with real strawberries which turned it pink. To go with the ice cream, she also made petit fours covered in white icing and bearing a single pink frosting rosebud piped on top. Lastly, the piece de resistance, a small gift for the grandmother to be: a pink t-shirt emblazoned with 'ninety-nine percent of a grandchild's awesomeness comes from their grandmother.'

Melina smiled as she folded the shirt to put it inside the pink bag. Nervous, wanting everything to be perfect, she looked forward to their family get together. Sitting down on the side of her bed, she took a moment to revel in this feeling of happiness, positively giddy with joy.

"Mel?" Shoto called to her from the open door of her room.

"I'm all right," she told him before he even asked if she was okay. "Actually, I'm great."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, coming to sit beside her. "Have you thought anymore about a name since we know the baby is a girl?"

"I like the name Aiko. I want to use the kanji characters for her name to mean love and child because this child represents that love that brought us all together," she replied with certainty, rubbing her belly as the baby turned somersaults of approval. She smiled. "She likes it."

Shoto placed his hand on her belly to feel the child moving about. "She does."

He leaned forward, placing his forehead against hers in an affectionate gesture. His hands remained pressed to her rounded abdomen to feel the baby's vigorous activity.

"She's really bouncing around in there," he said.

"She's happy. I just wish she wasn't using my bladder as a trampoline. I'll be right back," she said.

As she exited the bathroom, there was a knock on the front door that reverberated through the entire house as if the person meant to break it down.

"Your dad is here," Melina announced, rolling her eyes.

"Subtlety is not a trait he possesses," Shoto sighed, standing up from the bed.

"Of that, my dear, I am painfully aware."

Grabbing the gift then taking the hand he held out to her, they walked hand in hand to the door. Melina placed the bag on the table in the foyer hiding it behind the large arrangement of pink carnations and white jasmine to get it out of sight because she wanted to wait until after dinner to give it to Rei allowing everyone time to pick up on the clues she scattered about.

Shoto opened the door to see the entire family standing on the porch. They must have all gathered at the main house before making their way here.

Greetings were exchanged including hugs and kisses. Melina received pats on the belly as everyone greeted the child as well. They all talked excitedly and at once as they made their way to the dining room.

Melina excused herself to retrieve the implements she purchased for the special tea. Hana followed her with the platters of appetizers. The dinner was off to a grand start as she made a show of preparing the tea, placing the dried flower and green tea leaves inside of the plain, clear glass teapot. Slowly pouring the hot water over the flower, she waited for the first of her hints to reveal itself.

The shriveled petals of the pink chrysanthemum re-hydrated and uncurled, spreading and growing to fill the bottom of the pot as it returned very closely to its original form. So far no one seemed none the wiser as she poured the tea into white cups decorated with a single pink rosebud. After finding out the gender of her child they had gone shopping to buy all sorts of items to use as little clues strategically placed throughout the dinner.

"Are these new?" Fuyumi asked, turning the cup around and around in her hand as she studied the artisan made cup including the actual dried rose petals preserved under several layers of glaze.

"Sure are. I wanted to buy something new to celebrate this momentous occasion. Our first family dinner," Melina said, handing Shoto a cup and giving him a wink.

He blushed and smiled. Natsuo noticed the interaction but said nothing, choosing to stuff his mouth with a pork dumpling instead. For everyone in this family to be together in one room was pretty special in itself. Not to mention they were all getting along and enjoying each other's company - that was nothing short of a miracle. No one mentioned the conspicuous absence of one particular family member. It was too painful to acknowledge for all of them.

"After seeing these cups, I became tempted to take up making pottery," Melina said to begin a conversation after a short but tense silence. "I need to find something to keep myself occupied."

"You're going to be pretty busy already, aren't you? I hear you're going back to the school, to be an assistant to All Might and tutor to the students," Enji said to keep the conversation going.

"Sure am. I guess all of us are about to return to school. Shoto and myself to UA. Natsuo to university. Fuyumi to her school as a teacher," she observed, glancing around the table.

"Hey, if you ever get bored enough, you're more than welcome to come help out at my school," Fuyumi offered.

"I might just do that. Is anyone ready for more tea?" Melina inquired, standing up in preparation to go around the table to refill cups.

As she reached out for Fuyumi's cup, the woman seized her hand to pull it close to her face. A blush warmed her cheeks as her sister-in-law-to-be studied the ring on her finger.

"Is this an engagement ring?" Fuyumi asked, glimpsing up at Melina.

"Engagement ring? Don't you think you should pump the breaks a little bit there, baby bro," Natsuo said. "Melina is great and all, but damn. You're going to be the only guy in high school who is engaged. Isn't that going to be weird?"

Enji cleared his throat and shifted in his chair.

"It's not as unusual as you might think," he mumbled, sipping his tea.

Rei gave her husband a pat on the shoulder. "Some apples don't fall far from the tree."

"Oh, come on, Dad! We're not living in ancient times for god's sake," Natsuo muttered.

"I wasn't much older than Shoto when I approached your mother with a marriage proposal," Enji Todoroki admitted in an effort to defend his youngest child.

Somehow he managed to keep his 'proposal' from sounding like the business deal, the acquisition, that it had been in reality. Maybe it was because they were overcoming that past to build a better, stronger marriage in the present.

"Just because you're not ready to pop the question to your girlfriend doesn't mean all of us have to be so unsure about the one we want to marry," Shoto countered. "But anyway, it's not an engagement ring. I'll buy a different ring later for the _official_ engagement. That is more of a ring of intent, a promise ring of sorts. I promise to marry Melina, to love her and be with her for the rest of my life."

"Isn't that what an engagement ring represents?" Natsuo asked in a loud stage whisper.

"It's romantic," Fuyumi sighed.

"Don't encourage him," her brother groused back.

"Shut up, dork," she snapped in return, punching him in the arm.

"It's going to be a very long engagement," Melina said, her eyes meeting Shoto's. "I assure you we're not rushing into anything. Circumstances are just..." She patted her belly and sighed. "Different than most. Not ideal but it is what it is. And I love him."

"To love," Rei said, raising her teacup in a toast while giving her husband a smile.

"To love," Enji agreed, raising his cup as well.

Melina wanted to cry. Such a lovely scene she never imagined she would see. If only...if only Toya were here. But seeing his parents like that would probably cause him more pain than inciting the warm fuzzy feeling that presently penetrated her chest.

"I should go help Hana with the main dishes," she proclaimed, rushing to the kitchen in her desperate need of a distraction.

She needed to stop thinking about him. She forgot she held the teapot in her hand until she heard the lid rattling, glass striking glass due to her shaking fingers. Setting the teapot down on the prep table quickly to avoid breaking it, she started collecting the side dishes out of the refrigerator. If only she could drink alcohol...to go a little bit numb so she did not have to feel so much.

But then again, most of these feelings were good. _Focus on the good and forget about the rest,_ her grandmother's words echoed inside her head. She had not thought about her grandmother or any of her little pearls of wisdom in an inordinately long time.

 _Grandmother, if only you could see me now_ , she thought to herself with a sad little smile.

"Miss? Are you ready to bring out the main course?" Hana questioned, breaking her free from the prison of her own mind.

"Yes, thank you," she responded, picking the bowls of various pickled vegetables as Hana prepared to follow her.

"So how's the baby?" inquired the proud grandmother when Melina entered the dining room.

"Fine. Good, strong heartbeat. Kicking around a lot."

"Sounds like a boy," Natsuo interjected.

"It's going to be a girl," insisted his sister. She pressed her palms together as if praying. "Please let the baby be a girl. There's too many men around here already."

"Hey!" Natsuo snapped.

"I felt the baby move," Shoto announced proudly before Melina divulged the gender secret with her Cheshire cat grin. She had no poker face at all.

"How far along are you now?" Rei inquired.

"Twenty two weeks. We're over half way there."

"Are you nervous, excited, happy?" Fuyumi asked.

"All of the above. It's so much. But it's good. Very good," she said, sitting beside Shoto and taking his hand in hers.

The family began discussing the due date of the baby and Christmas which had the distinct possibility of coinciding.

"What a wonderful present that would be for Christmas!" Rei exclaimed happily.

Melina bit her lower lip to keep from saying "speaking of presents" to segue into bringing out the gift for Rei. However, it was not yet time for that because that really would give their little secret away and end the guessing game too soon. So far no one seemed to have noticed the signs or if they did, nothing was said.

"Shall we go the sitting room for tea and dessert?" Melina suggested once dinner was over.

"That's a very Western thing to do," Enji remarked, standing up despite his protesting.

"Well, I'm going to do my best to incorporate both of our cultures into raising this child. I believe it's important the baby know and understand the origins, the culture, in which both of us were raised," she said, taking the hand extended to her by Shoto. "To bridge the gap of our differences and help our child embrace both sides of their identity."

"How will you confront the obvious issue of explaining the child's parentage? The true identity of their father?" Enji asked. Leave it to him to bring up the difficult questions, the ones no one wanted to ask because it just plain rude. "Will Toya be allowed to be a part of the child's life?"

"Enji, don't...don't do this," Rei murmured as a plea, placing her hand on his chest over his heart.

"Well, I don't know exactly when that time will be. When the child is old enough to understand or when they begin to ask questions I suppose will be an indicator of when they are ready, I guess. But we will figure out when the time is right. Shoto and I will explain everything. If Toya wants to see the child, have a relationship with them, we won't stop him. But all of that is for us to determine. Not you," she stated bluntly but not rudely, without malice or anger. "Does that answer your questions?"

Standing up for her rights as a mother and those of her child to know their heritage in their own time made her bold without the false courage of hate. Motherhood, though new to her and not quite come to full fruition, had already instilled an overwhelming sense of protectiveness in her.

"Hmm," Enji hummed, a smile of approval on his face. He still liked testing her apparently. She passed.

"Now, if you will, grandfather, please, let's go to the sitting room," she suggested, a smile on her face.

Determined to offset the heavy atmosphere and try to salvage the rest of the evening, Melina assisted Hana with handing out the plates containing a bowl of ice cream and an individual cake along with cups of tea. Sitting on the cushions around the kotatsu, the conversation eventually began to flow again at a nice steady pace with Shoto telling them about their day at the amusement park and the engagement.

"Shoto, can you go get the uh...uhm, the ah...the thing? The thing in the foyer? Ah...you know, the _thing_ ," she said, jerking her chin toward the foyer.

"Oh! The thing!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet to get the present.

He returned, extending the bag to his mother who immediately understood the meaning. Tears slid from her eyes down her cheeks.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Natsuo asked, his tone a bit panicked.

"It's a girl. You're having a girl!" Rei exclaimed, standing up from her chair to hug her son and ignoring the pink bag for the time being.

"It's a girl! Woo hoo!" Fuyumi shouted happily. She crawled around the table to hug Melina who was still sitting.

"I was wondering why there was so much pink everywhere," Enji muttered, putting the entire petit four in his mouth.

"Oh, please, as if you really noticed," Rei shot back, slapping him playfully on the arm.

"Hey, I did!" he returned, standing up to hug his son as well.

Melina stood to her feet with Fuyumi's help in order to share a round of hugs with everyone. Once the hugs were exchanged and tears of happiness shed, they settled back down to eat their desserts before the ice cream melted completely into milkshakes in a bowl.

Rei pulled the shirt out of the bag, laying it against her chest. Everyone laughed except for Enji. He folded his arms and shamelessly pouted.

"Oh, I love it!" she exclaimed happily, rereading the shirt. "This was a fantastic surprise."

"Indeed," Melina agreed, finishing her cup of tea. It was more than the tea making her feel warm and content from the inside out. She could not stop herself from smiling.

When the plates were empty, Melina went about gathering them to take them to the kitchen. In the kitchen waited another surprise she had not anticipated.

Toya stood there eating a bowl of the cold noodles while standing over the sink. Hana was no where to be found which would account for why the woman did not warn them.

The dishes clanked and rattled in her hands when she began to tremble uncontrollably. Before she dropped them, she rushed forward, elbowing him aside to set them in the sink.

"You're late," she snapped, turning on the faucet and avoiding looking at him.

"Sorry," he apologized half-heartedly, slurping up the noodles. "It was difficult to get away. I had to make sure I wasn't being followed."

"Thank you for considering your family's safety," she muttered irritably, sounding insincere although she actually meant it.

The last thing she wanted was another interaction with any member of the League of Villains. She had grown accustomed to the safety and peace she found here. Possibly complacent. Was she hoping for too much thinking she had managed to hide away from the danger that seemed drawn to her like a magnet no matter how hard she tried to stay away from it?

"Were you going to hide in here all night stuffing your face or do you intend to go see your family?" she asked him, pouring dish soap into the stream of running water.

"I was going to see them after I finish this," he said, sliding the empty bowl into the soapy water.

"There's dessert. Check the freezer. There should be a bowl of ice cream in there for you. The petit fours are on the counter."

"Petit fours?"

She nodded toward the clear glass domed cake holder where the small squares were stacked almost in a pyramid.

"Little cakes. Just give one a try."

"I don't care too much for sweets."

Melina groaned in frustration.

"You missed the big announcement. You're having a daughter, Toya," she informed him, purposely using his given name despite his past protests. To stave off another vehement outburst in response, she added,"In this house, your name is Toya. Please, do not argue or offer any disagreements."

"Yes, ma'am. You've settled into this mistress of the house thing quite nicely," he returned with a smile, popping one of the cakes into his mouth then taking another while chewing. "A daughter huh? I hope she's just like her mother."

"She will be," Shoto said as he entered the kitchen. He brought the teacups to the sink and kissed Melina on the cheek. "I was wondering what happened to you when you didn't come back."

"It's fine. Everything is fine," she assured him, forcefully scrubbing the plate in her hand.

"Why don't you go see your family?" Shoto suggested to Toya, touching Melina's tense shoulder. "They will be happy to see you. They're in the sitting room. Mom will be really glad to see you."

"You aren't happy to see me, baby brother?" Toya pressed, grinning broadly at him.

"I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about you," he replied as diplomatically as possible. "Give it time. Give us all time, Toya. There's been a lot of changes."

"Yes, there has," he agreed and nodded before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Shoto dug his fingers into the rock hard muscles of Melina's shoulders after his brother left them alone.

"Are you really okay? he asked her, massaging the tense muscles in her neck.

"I really am okay. I can't freak out every time he shows up. He's going to be a permanent part of our lives...the baby's life. Just as he should be. I see that as a good thing. I just have to come to terms with it. And so do you. We can't allow our interactions with him to be awkward forever," she said, rinsing off the plates to put them on the bamboo dish rack to dry.

"You're right. Like I said, we just need time...to adjust. You are such an amazing woman," Shoto sighed, kissing the back of her neck.

"You're an amazing man," she complimented in return, turning her head to give him a big smile while her hands continued washing the dishes. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to raise this child in a loving, happy, stable home surrounded by the people who love her. Her whole family. That includes her father."

"I love you," Shoto whispered in her ear, placing his hands on her belly as if to embrace the child inside. "I love both of you."


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Notes: Hi all! I apologize for the short update especially after such a long time. Hopefully it will be incredibly sweet making up for its length. Please enjoy!

* * *

The first day of school after their return from summer break had been full of excitement, teachers and students getting reacquainted with each other. With the added presence of Melina, absolutely nothing got accomplished. The students were too busy focusing on their former teacher and her ever growing baby bump to pay attention to their present teachers to even go over the syllabus for the upcoming months until winter break.

Therefore Melina was asked to stay in the administrative building far away from the classrooms. She sat at the desk designated for her located between All Might's and Aizawa's in the faculty room just outside of Principal Nezu's office. It was Friday, the last day of the first week back at the academy, and there was already a stack of test papers to grade on her desk.

Aizawa was not giving these kids any breaks. To appear to be such a lazy, affectless man, he sure did drive his students hard, expecting nothing less than excellence. Of course he did. He knew the danger his students were in and that they could not afford to be anything less than at their best at all times. If not, his students risked severe injury or death since it seemed they seemed to be the favorite target of villains, any villain really.

 _Time to begin_ , she reminded herself internally. Her mind wandered often, and she was tired. Thank goodness it was Friday. Inhaling a deep breath to prepare herself, Melina picked up her red pen and took the first paper from the tall stack. Unfortunately, these tests were not going to grade themselves.

An hour later, she was only halfway through the big pile. Aizawa had been cruel enough to make half of the test essay questions. Ethics questions. What ifs and where to fors of hypothetical situations the students might, but hopefully never would, have to face. Such as, what do you do if you accidentally injure the person you are trying to protect? If given the opportunity to kill a particularly nasty villain when less lethal options are available, do you choose to kill without exception? Somehow she had the feeling some of these kids had already been confronted with the dilemma posed by the last question.

Putting down her pen, Melina tilted her head back to relieve the tension in her sore neck. She had been craning her neck over the papers for far too long. Her lower back ached as well so she decided to stand up and walk around a bit. The muscles twinged in her belly as she strode to the window. She patted her tummy feeling the unusual tightness under her hand. She had been sitting for far too long.

The bell chimed signalling the end of second period. Students began to flow from the buildings, filling the courtyard between the administrative building and the classroom building across the sidewalk. Melina searched the many happy, laughing faces for one or two of the familiar ones she knew from class 1A. They might be in the courtyard between the other buildings. She sighed in disappointment. She had been hoping to get at least a glance of Shoto.

Being with him day in and day out for a little over a month during summer break had spoiled her. Although she knew she enjoyed being with him, she had no idea how profound the loneliness would be without him. Oddly, being this close to him but not being with him made her desolation worse. They had not seen each other much this week considering how busy he stayed with classes. All Might, Aizawa, and even Principal Nezu kept her super busy in the office.

There was a knock on the outer frosted door leading into the teacher's offices. Melina expected All Might to poke his head in asking for 'just one more little favor' so she steeled herself for the request and turned to the door with a 'yes I would be happy to do it' smile already on her face. The Principal had been gracious enough to allow her to return to the school to help out. How could she say no when it was her job?

Instead seeing wild and unruly yellow hair, a beautiful red and white head along with gorgeous dual colored eyes, one brilliant turquoise and the other dark grey filled her vision. Her heart leapt with happiness and sped up like a runaway engine. The baby kicked her hard in the ribs as if warning her to calm down.

"Hi," Shoto greeted her shyly, raising his hand in a wave. "Are you busy?"

"I was just taking a break," she replied, meeting him at her desk.

"Good. I brought you something," he said, pulling a cup from behind his back. "A strawberry smoothie. I thought you might need a snack."

"Oooh, thank you," she returned gratefully, taking the cup from him.

"There's pieces of real strawberry in it."

"My favorite."

Since the first day of school, she had made it a habit to stop by the smoothie place they passed on the way to the academy since it was difficult for her to eat food so early. This morning she had been running late due to oversleeping and had to skip her breakfast smoothie. It was sweet of him to notice and bring her one. But he always noticed those kinds of things.

"Did you get permission from Principal Nezu to return home this weekend?" Melina inquired, chewing on her straw as she waited for the answer.

"Not yet. That's why I came here." He blushed lightly, his eyes darting away from hers then returning as a sheepish smile tilted his lips. "That and to see you."

"I'm glad you came to see me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper due to the emotions constricting her throat.

A warm sensation spread through Melina's chest as she looked at him. Unable to stop herself, she reached out to run her fingers through his hair. Pushing into the soft red strands, they flowed through her fingers like silk. After stroking his hair, she pressed her palm to his cheek, her thumb skimming the underside of the scar around his turquoise eye. Her breathing halted when he closed his eyes, pressing his cheek into her palm. Her heart filled with love for him until she thought it might burst.

"Shoto, I - "

Before she could say the words to express what she felt in her heart, the door opened again and Enji Todoroki entered the office. Shoto's eyes flew open, and he wrenched his body away from her breaking the warm and hypnotic spell that had encapsulated them. Spinning around, he saw his father staring at them from the doorway where he had not yet completely entered the room.

"Hello, Shoto. Melina," he greeted her with a nod which she returned.

"What are you doing here?" Shoto snapped, annoyed by the interruption and more so by the person who perpetrated the interruption.

"I just came to talk to Principal Nezu about you're coming home this weekend. You can't miss Sunday dinner," he said, his deep voice rising in an attempt to be light hearted.

"I don't need your help. I can handle this," he retorted irritably. "Besides, I know how important it is for me to be there for Sunday dinner."

Melina understood his aggravation with his father for unnecessarily using his influence as the reigning number one hero. She was glad Shoto did not remind his father he had only been able to move into that number one slot due to All Might's retirement for health reasons. Her hand clutched Shoto's wrist gently as he stepped forward.

"Oh, hello, Endeavor," Principal Nezu declared when he stepped out of his office. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Melina wondered if Mr Principal could feel the tension outside his door and stepped out to see what was going on.

"Actually, I came by to speak to Melina," Endeavor lied in return. "I believe Shoto has something he would like to discuss with you."

"Come in to my office," Mr. Principal invited Shoto.

Melina let go of Shoto's wrist as he stepped toward the glassed in office. Her attention turned to Enji. Her eyes met his glowing turquoise ones that were just like those of his sons - especially now that they had taken on that special softness only love and warm feelings can bring. Despite his change of heart, he had many years of damage to heal before his family could implicitly trust him.

However, she was definitely glad to see the coldness and the severe edge of brutality were gone from his eyes. She had recognized that same hateful cruelty in Dabi's eyes when they first met. Never had she seen that in Shoto's eyes. Pain, sadness, a resistance to affection but never the harshness and ferocity those two exhibited. The only time she did see those emotions in his eyes was if it was directed at one of those two men.

"Was there really something you wanted to say to me?" she asked Enji as he continued to loiter at the door.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Did you want me to drive you to next doctor's appointment?' he asked her.

"That's two weeks away," she reminded him.

"It never hurts to have a plan."

"You would know. You always seem to be the man with a plan. It's a habit you've had ever since you were Shoto's age as I recall." When he allowed her remark to glide past him without acknowledgement, not even a change of expression, she added, "Hibiki is driving me. He will pick me up from the school then bring me back. I have lots of work to do."

"Can I take you to lunch today?" he inquired, undaunted. He seemed desperate to make someone in the family happy today.

"That's two hours away. Besides, I've got something," she said, raising her cup.

"That's hardly lunch."

"I'll grab something in the cafeteria."

"Hmm," he hummed, the flames on his face flaring out slightly. "Are you two angry with me for some reason?"

"I understand you're trying to help, trying to be a good father, but..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "He's not accustomed to you being there for him. It might be...it might be too late to be a father to him in some ways."

His luminescent eyes never veered away from her face. Neither did they fill with anger or resentment, his expression remaining neutral. His flames also stayed the same without lashing out which were often a dead giveaway to his anger.

"Shoto is a strong, independent young man. You'll just have to stand back and watch," she said as kindly as possible.

"I suppose you're right," Enji Todoroki agreed, turning his back to leave. Pausing before walking away, he looked back over his shoulder at her. "I believe he made the right choice in choosing you for a life partner."

Life partner? That sounded so cold and sterile - and _un_ -romantic. But then again, a partner for life was decidedly romantic.

Melina could feel her face flushing hotly whens he allowed herself to feel pleased by his words. She was thankful he was walking away so he could not see her blushing. Quickly sitting down at her desk, she returned to grading the tests.

Several minutes later, Shoto exited the Principal's office.

"Thank you, Sir," he said, bowing to the principal.

Melina kept her head down, staring at the paper in her hand but not seeing anything as she waited for Shoto to approach her.

"I trust all went well," she said as he pulled up All Might's chair and sat down.

"It did," he confirmed. "Want to meet in the cafeteria for lunch?"

"Do you think it would be appropriate? We've been trying to avoid each other to prevent any, shall we say, inappropriateness from occurring."

Shoto smiled at her, one corner of his mouth rising higher than the other giving him an impish appearance.

"I can control myself if you can."

"I don't think I can," sh admitted. "You weren't in front of me five minutes before I already had my hands on you." She slid her hand through his hair again. "Remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Shoto definitely remembered. He blushed lightly, his eyes lowering from hers. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his face and pressed his cheek into her palm once more, taking up where they left off after being interrupted.

In turn, Melina took his hand and brought it to her belly to feel the very active baby swimming around. The smile, both peaceful and joyful, stretched his lips as he slid his hand over the top of her ever increasing mound to follow the baby's movements.

"She's moving around a lot," he murmured, feeling a tapping against his hand that lay along Melina's side.

Melina grunted as the her daughter kicked her heartily several times in the ribs.

"She recognizes your voice," she stated, placing her hand over his.

"You think?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers.

"Well of course," she returned. "How could she not after all those hours you spent reading books to her?"

Melina recalled the many lazy afternoons during summer vacation spent lying on the cloud like couch in her sitting room, Shoto's head resting on her belly as if it were a pillow. Playing with his hair and listening to his hypnotic voice as he read a story from one of the many books in the already extensive collection had lulled her and the baby both to sleep. At some point he would fall asleep too because later she would wake up to find him konked out with the book lying on his face or chest.

She missed those blissful moments. But as she gazed at his tranquil, happy face while his gentle hands skimmed over her abdomen, she looked forward to many more to come.


	31. Chapter 31

Melina dropped the massive bag in the foyer with a grunt.

"Are you ready?" she asked Shoto who gazed at her with curiousity over the magazine he had been boredly thumbing through while waiting for her.

"Are you moving?" he inquired, tossing the magazine into the nearby basket with the dozens of other magazines on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

She laughed lightly.

"It's just a few things we'll need for the childbirth class. It's our first class! So exciting!" she exclaimed, hopping up and down on her toes.

"I was reading an article on natural birth. It is in the best interests of the child and the mother to go drug free," he said, bending to pick up the gigantic tote bag with pillows sticking out of the top.

"Trust me, it will be in your best interests if I am medicated," she said, opening the door for him. " At my last visit the doctor and I discussed this. I plan to wait until the last possible moment for the epidural to limit exposure to both of us, and I won't be using any other pain relievers. That's why we're going to this class. To learn relaxation and pain relief techniques to avoid the use of pain meds."

Shoto stopped in his tracks in the driveway when he saw the Red Jeep instead of the limo and Hibiki waiting for them.

"What?" she asked when he did not move. "I drive better than your father. I'm pregnant. Not - "

"Disabled," he butted in, completing the sentence. "Yes, yes, I know. You won't let me forget."

At least the hard top had been put on it today. He climbed in, putting the bag on the floorboard between his feet as she got behind the wheel.

"I'm not some wilting flower. I'm not having any complications. The doctor said I'm just fine. I even passed my gestational diabetes test and my blood pressure is fine so no signs of pre-eclampsia. Stop worrying so much."

"So what's in here?" he asked to change the subject and digging through the bag to distract himself.

"Just the essentials," she replied.

"Pillows, towels, a yoga mat, bottles of water...a stuffed animal...trail mix complete with chocolate chips...Bento boxes?" he announced as he inventoried each item aloud. "Just the essentials?"

"Shut up," she muttered, her fingers clutching the wheel. "You're going to be glad I brought that stuff."

"How long is this class?"

"Uh...you've been wanting to spend more time with me, right?"

"Yeah, but..."

"It's only a few hours."

"A few hours?"

"Only twelve weeks to go, Shoto. We need to be prepared. I...," she inhaled shakily, her knuckles turning white on the steering wheel from her fierce grip. "I need to be prepared."

"Are you afraid?" he asked in a low, gentle voice in an effort to calm her obvious anxiety.

"I'm terrified. More afraid than I've ever been in my life," Melina confessed.

"Don't worry. You've got the best doctor. Dad made sure of that," he scoffed. "Take all the pain medicine you need. I was only - "

"It's not just the birth. Shoto, I'm going to be a mom," she said barely above a whisper as her emotions crashed down on her heavily. Tears formed in her eyes but did not fall. "I'm going to be someone's mother. I'm going to be solely responsible for another human life. This child will depend on me for everything. Food, shelter, warmth, protection...love."

"Melina," he said, placing his hand on her thigh and squeezing lightly. "You'll be a great mom. You're a very loving person. I know."

She glanced at him and smiled before quickly turning her attention back to the road.

"And you're not alone now. Remember?"

"Yeah," she sniffed, swiping at a stray tear with back of her hand. Although she wanted to hold his hand, she kept both hands on the wheel. "I'm glad I'm not alone."

"All right everyone!" the instructor declared, clapping her hands to get the attention of the couples who had been milling about and chatting. "Time to prepare your space."

All the expectant mother's were dressed pretty much the same in yoga pants and loose maternity tops including the childbirth teacher who was pregnant as well. She and her partner, an elegant woman dressed in yoga pants and t-shirt laid down their yoga mat and set about placing the pillows. The members of the class followed suit.

"Before we sit down, we will go over some basic birthing positions," she said, demonstrating by standing up tall with her feet about a hip's width apart. "This is a basic mountain pose in yoga. Find your footing. Stand up straight and tall. This is good for labor to allow gravity to do it's work by positioning the baby deeper into the birth canal. Partners, stand behind the mother."

The woman's partner stood behind her, placing her arms around her to hold her securely in an embrace with her hands supporting the bottom of her burgeoning belly. They slowly began to rock, first forward and back, then side to side.

"The mother and the child will find this movement very soothing," she said.

Melina leaned back into Shoto as he pressed his chest firmly against her back. His big, strong hands held her rounded abdomen while he swayed her back and forth.

"Now breathe. In through your nose. Out through your mouth. Concentrate on each breath," the teacher said. "Close your eyes and relax."

"Are you relaxed?" Shoto whispered in her ear.

"Uh-huh," she sighed, placing her hands over his that supported her baby bump that seemed to be increasing daily.

"Time for another position," the instructor announced.

"Oh," Melina groaned in disappointment.

The woman coached them into a birthing position with woman squatting down and her birth partner holding her up with their arms hooked under the mother's and their legs against her back to give her stability. Then they moved to another laboring position on all fours which alleviated the pain and pressure of back labor using gravity while the partner massaged the mother's back.

They practiced different positions with pillows as support and some with the partner as support. Finally they got into a more traditional labor position with the mother sitting, her knees bent and her partner sitting behind her using their body to hold her in an upright sitting position.

"This position is good for labor and and birthing. The partner can massage the belly, shoulders, and back," she said while her partner demonstrated.

"How's that?" Shoto asked, digging his powerful fingers into her shoulders.

"Mmmm," Melina hummed with satisfaction, thoroughly enjoying his massage. She truly felt like a spoiled queen today with all of the attention and loving carresses being lavished on her. "That's nice."

"I had no idea this class would be such a work out," he commented, pushing her forward slightly and sliding his hands down to her lower back to continue massaging.

"I think we're both gonna need a nap this afternoon," she said.

"Want to go for a picnic in the park after this, then we can go home and get that nap?" he suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan. Oh, god, Shoto," she moaned gratefully as he expertly rubbed her back.

"Please, don't do that," he muttered, his hands gliding around to stroke her tummy. "It's not fair for you to make a sound like that in this kind of situation. I shouldn't be thinking of you as anything but a mother right now."

"Sorry," she said, turning as red as her shirt.

"From this position, you can aid the mother when it's time to push. Like this," the instructor said, pulling her knees up so her partner could clutch her legs behind the knees and pull back.

"Well, that's - " Melina began to be cut off by the woman sitting next to her.

"Incredibly awkward and will only work if you're a contortionist or double jointed. Or both," she grunted as her husband awkwardly stretched then fell to the side in a failed attempt to grab her legs.

Melina giggled. Sitting straight up against Shoto's chest, he easily reached around her to press his hands behind her knees and pull back almost touching her knees to her shoulders.

"Okay. I'm thoroughly impressed," he murmured in her ear. "And more excited than I should be."

"Stop," she hissed, dissolving into giggles. "It's because of a ll that yoga and stretching I've been doing for the last few months. I told you it was a good idea and could only help me."

"All right. Let's run through the positions again and practice our breathing!" she teacher exclaimed.

"Oh, god," Melina sighed, flopping down flat on her back after Shoto moved. "I'm tired."

"Come on, little mama. We gotta practice. You can do this," he encouraged her, taking both of her hands in his to pull her up.

She fell into his arms, hugging him tightly. She sighed as he massaged her back from her shoulder blades down to her waist.

"You can do this. You're going to be a great Mom. I'll be there for you every step of the way. From the birth and way after. Always," he assured her, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.

"Aww," the woman who had been complaining earlier cooed. "You've got such a fabulous young husband."

"He's not my - " Melina began.

"Thank you," Shoto cut her off. He placed his lips next to her ear to whisper, "One day, Melina, I will be your husband."

Her fingers clutched his white button down shirt not caring if she wrinkled it. She pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling his heart beating.

"I know. Forgive me. It will take some getting used to...the idea of being with someone forever. But I like it. I love you," she whispered back.

"I love you too."

~\\./~

* * *

Melina snuggled up to Shoto preparing to take a nap. He smelled so fresh and clean after his shower. She inhaled deeply relishing the scent of the soap that was like cozy winter smell of pine and cardamom.

Upon returning home they had immediately gone to take showers, separately. Neither one had been expecting the workout they received int he childbirth class. After eating their lunch in the park they decided to take a stroll as well before returning home.

In his arms, exhausted and content, she quickly fell asleep. She had a dream. A very good dream of the future.

Melina saw herself sitting on a blanket in the backyard of the house setting out a picnic lunch. The sun warmed her shoulders and back bared by her thin strapped baby pink sundress. The sweet scent of the yellow daffodils, violet blue bluebells, snow white lillies, and fuschia posies swaying in the breeze wafted to her nose.

It was spring. The time of birth and new beginnings. Her new life.

As if having an out of body experience, Melina watched herself look up when the sight of a man's legs clad in faded denim came into view. A smile stretched her lips from ear to ear in one of the happiest smiles she had ever seen. She could not recall ever smiling like that. Then she saw who she was smiling at.

Shoto stood in front of her, older obviously due to the broader width of his chest and shoulders. His shorter hair and the light stubble above his lips and on his chin was an extremely sexy addition. Physical maturity made him strikingly resemble his father.

And there was the children. Their children. On those bigger shoulders, Shoto carried a little girl of about six years old; her black hair tied up in pigtails with pink bows to match her dress. In his arms he held a baby. A newborn baby boy with fuzzy red hair poking up in all directions from his little head.

When Shoto handed the baby to her, she could see the gold band on his finger, the sun light glinting off of it. She cuddled the baby to her chest, kissing his chubby cheeks as Shoto set the little girl with golden irises down beside her Her brilliant Todoroki turquoise eyes glittered as she looked at her baby brother then kissed him on the top of his head.

"Daddy! Daddy!" the child called to Shoto, tugging his hand until he sat down on the blanket beside her, sandwiching her between himself and her mother.

"Melina," Shoto said, wrapping his arms around his entire family, holding them in a loving and protective embrace.

Her name continued to echo in her head despite his lips not moving in the dream. Then she realized he was calling to her from the waking world, pulling her away from the dream. Despite not wanting to leave the lovely dream, her eyes fluttered open.

Shoto gazed down at her, his eyebrows drawn together and his forehead crinkled. His fingers softly stroked her cheek before he lowered his lips to hers for a brief kiss that made her heart skip a beat or two from the love it conveyed in its brevity.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice sounding as if she had a stuffy nose.

"What's wrong?" he repeated, wiping the tears from her face with the sheet. "You tell me."

"Oh," she gasped upon realizing she was crying. "I had a dream. A happy dream, Shoto."

"I'm glad to hear that," he rejoined, sighing with relief as he gathered her into his arms. "Tell me all about it."

So she did. Melina told him every detail of the wonderfully realistic dream.

"Hmm, that was a really good dream," he murmured, hugging her and kissing her forehead. "I want to make all of your dreams come true."

"Oh, Shoto, you are a dream come true."

* * *

Author's note: As much as I hate to bring this to a close, I think this is a good place to end this story with a glimpse into their future together. I hope you enjoyed the story and the ending was not too abrupt. Thank you so much for reading!


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